Showboat, Sheffield Crucible 19/12/15

It's Christmas and that only means one thing in my theatre obsessed mind, no not panto , but a festive trip over to Sheffield to see what Christmas musical delights are on offer. This year the Crucible are staging Showboat by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, a show first staged in 1927 and quite controversial at the time, combining the more traditional romantic stories with darker themes including racial identity and injustice.

This production doesn't shy away from the tougher themes, in fact it highlights the racial divisions through a powerful piece of staging in the very opening of the performance and its treatment of the more serious elements of this epic tale remain impactful and relevant throughout. It is maybe more of a considered, serious musical than many of the Crucible's recent festive offerings, as the tale unfolds it is tender, heart wrenching at times and full of impact, but there are a few out and out foot stompers that allow the cast to make full use of the crucible's generous stage.

As always an incredibly talented cast has been assembled for the show who work together with such fluidity that even scene changes are a thing of beauty. With such immense talent on display it seems churlish to pick favourites but I will! Emmanuel Kojo and Jason Denton as Joe and Stevedore were fantastic and their rendition of Old Man River will stay with me for a very long time. Michael Xavier portrayed the complexities of Gaylord Ravenal's journey finely and has a powerful but unforced voice and Sandra Marvin as Queenie has a beautiful voice and gave an incredibly engaging performance.

The design is first class,from the sumptuous costumes, gorgeous lighting to amazing set design, it's what we have come to expect from the Crucible but no less delightful for that. The initial set reveal is simply breathtaking, plain wooden panels line the rear of the stage when we arrive which seem to magically disappear as the show gets under way to reveal the most gorgeously detailed steamboat deck with action able to play across three levels vertically as well as over the large thrust stage of the space. When the boat is not present in the Chicago scenes the wooden backdrop allows for extremely effective use of back projection, which as well as providing set detail, is used to great effect in transition scenes and is especially effective in detailing the passage of time and some of the major headlines associated with it, giving a nice historical context to the events portrayed. 

Director Daniel Evans is moving on from the Artistic Director role at Sheffield in mid 2016 to the celebrated Chichester Festival Theatre so this will be his last Christmas production for them, he has left quite a legacy in his five years with them, and what a musical to end his Sheffield Christmas career on. Although I did see in the programme that he will be directing a brand new musical there before he leaves so I will have to see about getting over for that. The bar has been set high for next year's Christmas delight! 

The Snow Child, Lowry Studio 30/12/15

The Lowry can usually be relied upon to provide a good mix of family festive entertainment to suit every age, budget and attention span. In particular, the Studio often has a lovely festive offering for the smallest members of the family, and now I have a niece and nephew I have a good excuse to go and check it out.

This year they have brought Tutti Frutti's production The Snow Child to us for our Christmas treat. Based on the traditional Russian folk tale where a couple's wish for a child comes true when the child they build of snow magically comes to life, this show looks at it from the point of view of the Snow Child having to adapt to the unfamiliar human world and the challenges that she and her new parents face in becoming a family.

This is a lovely production, full of music, movement and snowy sparkly magic that keeps young and 'not so young' engaged throughout. There are jolly songs (I particularly liked the one about 'other people's children') , clever but simple set design and scene transitions and a genuine tenderness to the work.

The cast of three wonderfully bring alive the characters, Paula James and Mark Pearce are great as the parents and various other parts, and Mei Mac as the Snow Child is simply delightful, so engaging with a real air of innocence, magic and energy as she whirls around the stage. 

The show kept the audience transfixed throughout, at just under an hour the running time was just right for the primary target age group ( although the 'not so young' were equally enthralled) My two youngest guests who are four and a half really enjoyed it and it had their full attention at all times. Their favourite bit was when the Snow Child made it snow, and they were a bit star struck to actually meet her as they left the auditorium.

All in all an excellent way to round off the festive season and a very good value piece of magical and touching entertainment.

Whose Sari Now, Lowry Studio 19/11/15

This latest creation from Rasa Theatre weaves together the tales of a diverse group of women, with the theme of saris , and what that garments represents to them being the silken thread that connects  all the tales together.

Topping and tailing the piece is the engaging and funny grandma whose collection of saris represents key moments in her life, we also meet an edgy transgender poet, a mother fleeing conflict with her newborn twins, a village woman working for a pittance to create western goods and remembering the beauty and craftsmanship of the old sari weaving industry and an educated Malaysian curator held back by her faith and gender by a prejudiced system.

Saris can represent many things to these varied voices, shame, power, family and protection, pride and repression. It is fascinating to see the variety and sheer diversity of life represented by the action on stage.

Rani Moorthy as ever gives an absolute powerhouse of a performance, nailing each diverse character, and bringing such life, energy and warmth to the stage. She seamlessly transitions between the contrasting roles and you really care about the lives that you are seeing unfold.

Like any diverse group of characters, there are some that you would like to see more of, and some who you don't warm to as much. The Grandma who frames the tale was my favourite, engaging, tender, mischievous and as we see, ready to move on. I could have taken a whole show of her. The poet was an interesting character and a good contrast but I think for me maybe slightly outstayed her welcome.

Unlike the last show I saw of Rani's, Looking for Kool, which taught me a lot about a culture and a history I knew nothing about, with this show, whilst I enjoyed it immensely, I did feel that feel that a little background knowledge might have made it more immediately accessible for me, especially for the story of the curator. Unfortunately as it overran I was not able to stay for the post show q and a that might have filled in a few of the gaps for me and deepened my knowledge of the background to the characters portrayed.

But overall I was really glad to share in this performance that clearly meant so much to performer and a lot of the audience. Tender, touching, funny and brave, and performed by a fantastically talented writer and actress. A privilege to be part of. 

The Crucible, Royal Exchange Theatre 3/10/15

"This performance lasts three hours and ten minutes with one twenty minute interval" -  Words to strike fear into the heart of any theatregoer who has experienced the joy of an more arduous production. Picture if you will the scenes of chaos when the Royal Exchange decided to crash together Acts One and Two of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe into a single over two hour ' first act' . Slower moving theatre goers were trampled in the sprint for the toilets when the interval was declared. Then of course there is added danger of jaw dislocation as you try to stifle the yawns in a production that the directors really should have edited. Thankfully, neither of these theatrical perils were realised in the Exchange's latest production, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, thanks in a large part to the talented cast who hold your attention throughout.

Somehow, I've managed to reach my advanced age without ever having seen a production of The Crucible on stage or screen, despite it being one of Miller's most widely performed plays. I was, of course, aware of its subject matter, the Salem witch trials, and watching it performed, it was easy to draw comparisons with many more modern references, the most obvious being the McCarthy era in the U.S. But the mass hysteria, bandwagon jumping and a refusal to recognise the facts over the panic mongering portrayed is played out time and time again today.

Perhaps as a nod to the modern reflections, the male characters in this production wore present day dress, but this contrasted weirdly in the decision to dress female characters in a kind of repressed Amish like manner. There was probably a very deep meaning to this but it was lost on me. Also lost on me was the design choice to flood the stark and effective  stage set towards the end of the production. It was cleverly done and looked impressive but I didn't entirely see the point.

As mentioned, the cast gave impressive performances, in particular the central characters of John and Elizabeth Proctor, Jonjo O'Neill and Matti Houghton clearly gave their all to the parts. And Rachel Redford gave a delightfully manipulative and hard faced portrayal of the central accuser Abigail.

All in all, despite not totally buying in to the design decisions, I did enjoy this production, it felt powerful and relevant, and the cast was superb. The initially dread inducing running time was justified and I was engaged throughout by the performances and the play itself which, despite its 17th century setting, has powerful messages for a modern era.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), Didsbury Players, 22/8/15

The play's the thing they say and if you have ever seen any Reduced Shakespeare productions before you will know those plays are fast paced, require bags of energy and are blummin wordy. Not the obvious choice for an Amateur Company to tackle you would think, especially the Complete Works which has the added complication of large chunks of the Bard's verse. But for the Didsbury Players it was once more unto the breach dear friends as they attempted (and succeeded) to deliver all 37 plays and a few sonnets in under two hours. 

To even learn the script is an achievement, so to deliver it with such skill, wit, energy and charisma on a hot and steamy night in deepest Didsbury is quite something and I doff my cap to the talented and hard working cast of this production, Alex Grundy, Frances Lolly Chant and Mike Doward, who delivered a highly enjoyable night of entertainment.

As events got underway they even managed to arrange for a thunderous storm to add to the soundscape as the tragedies were introduced, I'm still not quite sure how they managed to time that quite so well! The two hours were packed, as well as the comedies, tragedies and histories we had sock puppets, distracting codpieces, audience participation, more costume changes than you could shake a stick at, heartfelt soliloquies, very dramatic deaths and even more dramatic spewing, cookery tips, and even a bit of interpretive dance. The cast truly gave their all to the production and they must have been exhausted by the end. The timing was excellent, and there were laughs a plenty.

Whilst this it may have been the first thing I've seen from the Didsbury Players, I suspect it won't be the last, well done all involved in this energetic and mirth filled production. 

24:7 Madness Sweet Madness 25/7/15

Madness Sweet Madness by Georgina Tremayne was a play concerning a mysterious night in the lives of Grace (Sophie Harrison) a widow struggling with the loss of her husband, and her brother in law Vesuvius (Matt Aistrup), exhausted by her bizarre and compulsive behaviour. Into this mix comes two mysterious 'detectives' (Sarah MacGillivray and Matt Holt) who may be a product of the imagination of one or both of the central characters.

I'm afraid this play did not engage me at all. The plot I suspect was meant to be quirky and intriguing, but personally I found it dull, verging on the self indulgent, and the 45 minute running time dragged. 

There were some engaging performances, but coupled with a weak narrative, an obsession with omelettes, and a set device of a glowing shed that made no sense, instead of dragging me in and making me think, which was possibly the idea, it just left me feeling frustrated and somewhat annoyed that this was the play I was ending my 24:7 Big Weekend on.

Venue was lovely though, the Cosmo Concert Hall at the Martin Harris Centre is beautiful (determined to end on a high!!!!!) 

24:7 Gary: A Love Story 25/7/15

This interesting and absorbing two hander, written by James Harker, is a play exploring the complex relationship between two brothers, Andrew (Reuben Johnson), and Gary (Craig Morris) 

As Andrew works his way through evidence boxes surrounding him on stage, he recalls  snapshots of the brother's lives together. This play is in turns complex, coarse, touching and shocking as the flashbacks built up into a record of two lives that could have had a different ending had a better support system been in place. Both of the actors do an excellent job portraying their roles, the complexities of their characters are  evident. Whilst Gary is the 'bad boy' who gets into trouble constantly and Andrew is the 'gifted student' both have more depth than that.

Gary, possibly with some mental health problems, longs for acceptance from his brother and searches for friendship and companionship, albeit often misguidedly. Andrew cares about his brother but cannot acknowledge it and loses sympathy for his extreme behaviours. Ultimately Gary is very lonely and scared, putting trust in the wrong places, but you do feel that with better support structures once he entered the criminal justice system, the outcome could have been very different.

Whilst Andrew is intolerant of his brothers actions, his shocking death affects him deeply and the heart of the narrative is him trying to make sense of the series of events that led to it and his conflicted feelings towards his brother.

Ultimately, this is a tale about love, as its title suggests. Well written, strongly performed and deeply affecting, this was one of the highlights of the festival for me. 

24:7 We Are The Multitude 25/7/15

What happens when two office workers, polar opposites who tolerate each other as part of daily office life, are thrown together in a situation that they might not get out of? Might they discover they have more in common than they thought? This funny and touching play by Laura Harper explores how events unfold.

Simon (Andy Blake) is the radical intellectual who keeps himself aloof from the rabble and appears to see his life in the University's finance department as somewhat beneath him, bubbly and over the top Lisa (Amy Drake) is obsessed with cats, celebrity gossip and recording every perceived slight in her 'bullying diary'. Whilst both are initially drawn as extremes of the kind of characters you might meet in office life, as they become trapped in their workplace, which the 'multitude' are threatening to blow up as a protest, their characters and backgrounds are revealed to have much more depth, as we discover both are lonely, isolated and hiding secrets, and, through the exchanging of a few home truths, a connection  is formed.

I really enjoyed this play. The humour is well played by the two leads, Drake in particular has some hilarious non verbal moments as she reacts to events, but both actors deliver excellent comedy performances and spark off each other well. The more touching elements are also nicely judged and there is some thoughtful detail, and the pace of the piece works well, the one hour running time flies by. The plot device of the multitude is maybe a little unrealistic, but it serves it's purpose in throwing these two seemingly disparate characters together and forcing them to communicate openly with each other.

Great comedy blended with touching detail, well delivered by a strong cast, I'm really glad I got a chance to see it.

24:7 The Plant 25/7/15

Two men are imprisoned in a mysterious small cell. To speed the passage of time one, Leon (Alex Phelps) starts to weave a narrative, with frequent interjections from the other Keith (Jonny Cordingley). As the tale moves on it becomes increasingly complex and darkly comic, and the lines between narrative and reality of their situation become blurred as we find out more about the brooding Plant that looms over the town that no one can escape from. Oh, and there is a brave duck called Rodney! 

I really enjoyed this clever piece of theatre. The writing, by James Kerr, was engaging, in turns funny and slightly creepy, and the two talented actors did an incredible job in bringing the story to life. I wasn't entirely surprised when I saw the name of Michael White in the playbill as movement associate, as the seamlessly smooth physicality of the performance had definite echoes of pieces that I have seen from Square Peg Theatre. Although the reality of the two inmates stories was never fully resolved, I liked that as it left me imagining more. 

All in all I felt this was an accomplished and clever piece of theatre, tightly directed and excellently portrayed. Definite highlight and deserves to be seen more. 

24:7 Theatre Festival - Big Weekend

24:7 has been one of the highlights of my theatre going year for a while now. A festival of new theatre writing, in the form of one hour plays, rehearsed readings and various other events, it has often provided unexpected thrills and has introduced a lot of new talent to the artistic world. Sadly this year it lost its Arts Council funding, something I find quite hard to understand when a ridiculous amount of public funding has been allocated for another large arts venue that Manchester doesn't really need at this time. I'm not sure whether this is connected with why 24:7 has decided to retire it's festival after this year, or whether they feel it has run its course as we do have an embarrassment of theatrical riches in the North. However 24:7 will live on in other guises, but the thrill of a week of theatrical adventures in the heart of the city courtesy of the festival will be sadly missed by many, myself included.

Luckily, the festival decided to bow out with a bang, putting on a Big Festival Weekend with four new plays, rehearsed readings, a children's adventure, a promenade production of monologues inspired by Manchester Scientists and workshops for writers and actors. It was all based around the Martin Harris Centre, a sparsely signposted but excellent venue on the University campus. I was limited for time this year so could only spend one day down there, but, clutching my lovely 24:7 Goodie Bag (as I had taken part in a crowd funding to support the festival earlier in the year) I managed to see all four of the main shows.

So it only remains to say - 24:7 Theatre Festival thank you. You have delighted and surprised me over the years, I've seen so many new plays, some of which still stay with me to this day,(and only one that I detested - that's not a bad hit rate), I've discovered new venues, made new friends, cried and laughed. You will be very much missed.

The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre, London 19/4/15

There's not a lot for a theatre obsessed person to do on a Sunday in London. A few of the crowd pleasers have matinees, but a Sunday evening in Theatreland tends to be very short on theatrical diversions. However, The Play that Goes Wrong, bucks this trend with not one but two Sunday performances

At the Lowry this Christmas I saw the extremely funny Peter Pan Goes Wrong by the same people behind this play, Mischief Theatre Company, and I did wonder if it would just be more of the same, but, whilst elements are shared - collapsing scenery, increasing on and off stage chaos, and a very real danger that the audience will do themselves an injury from laughing, they are actually very different productions and can both be enjoyed individually. 

The play bills itself as Noises Off meets Fawlty Towers and the roots of this piece are definitely in good old fashioned slapstick and farce. The action concerns the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society's attempt to stage a 1920s murder mystery Murder at Haversham Manor, but whatever can go wrong does, with increasingly chaotic results. 

An energetic and extremely hard working cast deliver hilarious performances from the outset ( in fact from before the outset so don't be too tardy getting to the theatre). Whilst it may look chaotic, it takes a talented set of performers and a lot of work to deliver that level of chaos precisely and without serious injury! 

The play won an Olivier this year for best new comedy, and it is well worth checking out if you want a couple of hours of sheer entertainment and fun. Highly recommended.

Currently booking through to February 2016 with plenty of reasonably priced tickets and discounts for early bookings. 

The Ghost Train, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester 30/5/15

The latest production at the Royal Exchange sees theatre company Told by an Idiot return with their take on Arnold Ridley’s Ghost Train. Ridley, who many will remember best as Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army, enjoyed considerable success with this play, when it first opened in London in 1925, where it played for over two years. The plot of this comedy thriller revolves around a group of passengers stranded at a remote country railway station overnight, having ignored the station master’s dire warnings to leave as a ghost train haunts the line bringing death to anyone who sets eyes on it.

Having seen and thoroughly enjoyed Told By An Idiot’s previous two productions,  You Can’t Take it with You, and Too Clever by Half,  in the main space at the Royal Exchange, I was looking forward to the same brand of eccentric humour and riotous laughs from this production, but for me, despite some fun and inventive elements, and good performances, I found it unengaging and slow.

There are plenty of chuckles throughout. Javier Marzan as a drunken Miss Bourne being a particular highlight, and the talented cast work extremely well together to deliver the piece. Timing is precise, and there is some fun and cheeky interaction with the audience.  There is innovative use of set and sound, I particularly liked the opening sequence as the train was brought to life by the cast. But, whilst other productions have been lively and well-paced, the first act of this play felt terribly slow and disjointed, and takes over an hour to get to the pivotal moment. I hoped that things would pick up in the shorter second act but even though the story moved on considerably, the pace still felt stilted and sluggish.

At times I felt like I was watching rough draft of a play, talented actors and good moments but in need of editing. Whilst there are amusing characterisations and fun elements, it verges on the self-indulgent at times. Just because you have some mildly amusing ideas you don’t need to put them all on stage and lose sight of the need to also move the action on.

Despite my reaction to the performance, and my disappointment in the production for not living up to my hopes for a riotous afternoon of comedy and / or chills, there were plenty in the audience who would disagree with me and seemed to enjoy themselves immensely.

Mildly amusing in places, but no real scares, talented cast and nice staging, but for me it never lived up to the sum of its parts and was a frustrating and disappointing production.  

Gypsy, Savoy Theatre London 18/4/15

I was so excited when I managed to get a ticket to see Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre recently (despite a small battle with ATG's booking system that really doesn't like selling single tickets anywhere near the stage). It has to be one of my favourite musicals, with music by Julie Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, it is loosely based on the memoirs of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, from her start in vaudeville, driven by the vicarious ambition of her mother Rose, to her eventual fame as a burlesque star. 

It is considered by many to be one of the greatest American musicals, and has been immortalised in film twice, first in 1962 with Rosalind Russell taking the central role of Mama Rose ( with a little vocal help from Lisa Kirk), and then in 1993 with Bette Midler, and I believe a third film is in pre production. Bearing in mind this popularity, it is a little surprising that a West End production has not been seen since 1973.

This London transfer of last years acclaimed Chichester Festival Theatre production reunites Imelda Staunton, who won an Olivier for previous Chichester transfer Sweeney Todd, with that production's director Jonathan Kent, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if many more awards came hurtling their way for this fabulous production.

The wonderful set makes full use of the depth of the Savoy stage, with beautifully detailed sets whizzing in and out, perfectly portraying the various scenes. And the costumes are gorgeous and in some instances very very clever, particularly Louise's quick changes and the burlesque dancers outfits.

The music is of course fantastic, from the overture onwards every piece is delivered with aplomb by the talented orchestra and performers. The whole cast are excellent and I can't mention them all but there are a few standout performances. The actors playing the young versions of Baby June and Louise were excellent ( Isla Huggins-Bar and Holly Hazelton at my performance) and there is a very clever transition from young to grown up versions.

Lara Pulver as the adult Louise gives a cleverly nuanced performance as she gradually comes out of the shadow of her mother, and her longing for a stable and settled life, and has her moment in the spotlight. The very clever transition scene from shy and frightened Louise pushed into filling a vacant burlesque number by Mama Rose, to the triumphant success of Gypsy, is excellent, and a real credit to the costume department as she goes through multiple outfits in the blink of an eye. And Julie Legrand as Miss Cratchitt / Electra is an absolute treat.

But of course this production belongs to Imelda Staunton who gives the best and most breathtaking acting and vocal performance I think I have ever seen. I knew what a fine actress she was already, from her many film and TV roles, and having been lucky enough to see her on stage last year in Good People, but the quality and energy of her performance as Mama Rose is just flawless. From the fine comedic detail, such as her interjections during the audition of June , Louise and the Farmboys, to the power of the big show-stopping numbers, her talent is extraordinary. The act one closer, Everything's Coming Up Roses, as Rose's unhinged ambition possesses her, was quite breathtaking, and her heartbreaking performance in Act Two closer Rose's Turn brought me to the verge of tears. 

The ensemble cast finale brought a joyful conclusion to an historic production I will remember for a long long time and am so happy to have witnessed ( and from the second row stalls too - I truly am a very lucky girl!) Never has a standing ovation been more earned. I predict awards aplenty for this amazing production and it deserves every accolade that comes its way. An absolute triumph of a show. 

Golem, Trafalgar Studios London 17/4/15

According to folklore, a Golem is a being made of clay that does as it is commanded. Versions of the golem story have appeared throughout the artistic world over the years, indeed the cover art of this production's programme appears to have been inspired by poster of the the 1920 silent horror film Der Golem, and anyone familiar with the late great Terry Practchett's Discworld series will have come across Golems. This innovative take on the golem legend, created by 1927 and first seen at the Young Vic, places its golem tale in a fantastical futuristic setting and explores when the boundaries can shift and switch between master and commander and just who is really in control of our thoughts and decisions.

Robert, the central character, is somewhat of a geek, obsessed with the latest invention to make his life better, most of which quickly become obsolete. He is persuaded to purchase the latest big thing, a golem, that can be woken and sent to sleep by a simple incantation, and whose sole purpose is to make life simpler and more successful for its owner. It's starts well, golem takes on the dull tasks with ease, but shadowy influences are at play, and Golem is soon developing and has an increasing influence on Robert's choices, and things only escalate when he receives an upgrade!

The design of the show is striking, clever use is made of projection, with the actors interacting directly with animations that 'create' the set and other characters, leading to seamless action and virtually limitless scope to create a fantastical world on the blank canvas of the simple set. The interaction of the actors with the animation is finely honed, with lots of clever detail throughout. Actors take multiple roles, including providing the haunting soundtrack, and the 90 minute straight through running time simply flies by. There is plenty of comedy both in the performances, and in little details of the animation, whilst a slightly sinister overtone is present throughout.

The themes of the play really make you think, there is a clear and deliberate parallel with modern technology advances of today. It makes you wonder how much your choices are your own, and how much they may have been influenced by the faceless tech companies 'whispering in your ear' as your life is made 'simpler' by their advances. 

Since seeing the show I've realised that it will be coming up to Manchester as part of the new Home arts centre's opening season. I definitely think it deserves a repeat visit as there is so much detail and so much to admire in this production that you probably need a second look to take it all in. 

Really very clever and extremely enjoyable theatre. I'm impressed, and wondering if I should turn the wifi off!

Anna Karenina, Royal Exchange Manchester, 4/4/15

It can't be easy adapting Tolstoy's epic Russian novel for the stage. There are a lot of characters and many themes being explored including love, society, politics and duty (and it's over 800 pages long!) This adaptation by Jo Clifford, proves to be a very accessible production by focussing on the human nature of the events without getting too bogged down in the political.

Whilst not a completely modern day setting, the characters and settings have been portrayed in a very contemporary way. Actors often play more than one character, this can be confusing, but the approach used of characters conversationally introducing themselves as they enter helps you keep track. The pace is extremely rapid, the story is moved along in a serious of snapshots, even at times with scenes being played in parallel, generally this worked well, but I did feel that in particular Anna's emotional journey felt a little rushed.

Ony Uhiara, in the lead role of Anna, gives a striking performance, although I did find that the approach taken to the character, all nervous energy and immediacy, worked better for me in the latter scenes as Anna's mind struggles with the consequences of her actions. Exchange regular Jonathan Keeble, as Anna's by the book husband Karenin, was nicely done, as his confusion over the impact on his ordered life turns to anger at Anna's betrayal. 

Welcome comic relief comes from Ryan Early's Oblonsky, portrayed here as an incorrigible flirt, somewhat oblivious to the deep hurt his actions inflict on his long suffering wife Dolly ( Claire Brown) The act two opening scene as Oblonsky and Levin ( John Cummins) fail to make it on time for the latter's marriage to Katy (Gillian Sarker), was hilarious, and provided a nice contrast to the darkness that was to follow. 

A very simple stark set has been created for this production, with a patch of soil at the centre of the stage between rails gradually widening until by the start of the second act it completely bisects the stage. Although striking, I'm afraid some of the symbolism was lost on me, possibly if I knew the source text better it would have been clearer. At the start of act two as Katy knelt in a beautiful white wedding dress in the soil I did find myself becoming very distracted by the thought of the poor costume department having to maintain it between performances! 

Whilst I don't think this is one of my favourite Exchange productions, a talented cast, striking design and very accessible adaptation did bring this epic take to the stage effectively and memorably. 

Kneehigh Theatre's Rebecca, Lowry Salford 11/4/15

I was very excited to get a chance to see Kneehigh in action again as the previous two productions I have seen of theirs, Brief Encounter and Don John were remarkably crafted and very memorable experiences and I was intrigued as to how they would bring their unique touch to Daphne Du Maurier's well known tale.

From the moment the curtain went up I knew I was in for something very special. A gorgeous detailed and extremely clever set has been created which, with the help of the cast, magically transports you to the various settings of the play, from the beautiful but slightly faded glory of the Manderley house, to the wild lonely shores of the Cornish coast. There are even echos of the previous lady of the house built into the set, the wrought iron balustrades and vases containing Rebecca's initial representing the hold the first Mrs De Winter still has over the lives of the participants even from beyond the grave.

This being Kneehigh, you shouldn't expect a straight retelling of the book. Although the plot is well represented on stage, this 'play' is so much more than that, and actually quite risqué at times!  There is plenty of humour, especially with star turns from Katy Owen as Robert the servant ( who also does an excellent job of portraying the fragile young Ben waiting on the shoreline for his father to return from the sea) and Lizzie Winkler as Giles De Winter's sister Beatrice, who delivers some of the finest, and most death defying drunk acting I have seen. Cornish sea shanties provide an evocative element to proceedings as they are woven through the action. Puppetry is used to great effect and there's even a couple of fun dance numbers built into the narrative (tip - don't be tardy getting back to your seat after the interval)

Emily Raymond's sinister portrayal of the obsessive Mrs Danvers sent shivers down my spine, Imogen Sage as the current Mrs de Winter showed a nice journey from vulnerable innocent to something much stronger as the true nature of her 'love rival' and the manner of her death are revealed, and Kneehigh stalwart Tristan Sturrock is well cast as Maxim de Winter, still struggling with the ghosts of the past.

The whole ensemble cast are incredibly talented and hardworking, most appearing on stage throughout, providing music, cleverly creating scenes and expertly evoking the dark atmosphere of the story. 

I was totally captivated by this gorgeously atmospheric and beautifully crafted retelling of this well known tale. Kneehigh truly brought a little Cornish magic to the Lowry stage.