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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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More cheers than shock for Peter Shockheaded Peter Stage 2 The Crescent Studio
I GET the feeling that if Stage 2 did a
one man show it would have a cast of at least 30. With
Shockheaded Peter
there was a dispute, among the reviewing team as to whether there were
46, as per programme, or 48 as per head count, on stage at various
times; whatever the final count it was an industrial strength crowd and
all credit to director Lucy Bailey-Wright in that it was never a mob but
always a well-oiled machine of a cast. Shockheaded Peter is based on Der
Struwwelpeter, a popular German children's book by Heinrich Hoffman
dating from 1845 which tells the tales, in rhyme, of mischievous
children and the dire consequences of bad behaviour. Dr Hoffman does not do gentle nursry rhymes
it seems, indeed had he done Mary Had a little lamb you feel sure it
would have involved at the very least a psychopathic wolf or a barbecue. Peter was one of the gentler stories and the
opener. As the audience enter they are confronted by a line of 19 young
people on a line of 20 wooden cubes. The young cast carry on as if no
one is there slowly becoming noisier and more animated as showtime
approaches until Peter, (Alice Bettis Marsh) hair the size of Dudley and
finger nails down to her ankle, appears and walks along the line of
boxes as the other 19 principal cast recite his tale. Fairly simple moral really. If you neglect
personal hygiene than people tend to avoid you. Peter was one of the
lucky ones. Conrad Suck a Thumb(Khalid Daley) was told thumbsucking had
dire consequences. Did he listen? Did he hack and along came a
tailor and cut off both thumbs with a giant pair of shears to produce
ribbons of blood. Then there was Harriet (Laura Dowsett)who was
told not to play with matches – vain hope that was. The result was a 41
man fire and four frightened kittens as she burned to . . . well
nothing with all that remained being her red shoes. WASTES AWAY James (Oliver Johnson) froze solid from eating
too much ice cream while Augustus (Gabriel Hudson) stops eating
his soup so wastes away and dies. Verity (Meg Luesley) is one of those know it all
types no one really likes. She makes the mistake of telling a magician
she knows how all his tricks are done, except the last one of course,
when he makes her vanish. Then there is Fidgety Phillip (Aidan Richards),
Cruel Frederick (George Hannigan) and Hateful Georgia (Emaan Durrani)and
Caring Mary (Anna Ryan) who change bodies and can't change back again.
Ruthless Mike (Lucy Baines) and Reckless John (Ella Swarbrick) give
their governess vanishing cream only to find they can't hide from her
when she is invisible!. There is Janet (Eva Bolt), Foolish Phillipa
(Sarah Middlemiss), Victor (Ethan Tarr) and the halibut, Disobedient
David (Annabelle Quirin), Patricia in London (Rosie Nisbet), Flying
Bobby (Priya Edwards) and Fartin Martin (Jonni Dowsett) whose flatulence
problem creates green smoke and eventually a jet propelled flight and
crash while Johnny head in Air (Mark James) doesn't look where he is
going. The 20 lead roles are on stage all the time and
never missed a beat or a cue and moved the 20 cubes around like
clockwork, setting a new scene for each of the characterisations,
including some written by the group themselves. They even kept track of
the cubes that were really boxes, holding props, not only knowing where
they were but what they contained. An impressive feat. Breaking the studio up into quarters of 24 seats
each with the action in a cross between opened up the stage to produce
virtually four plays at once with each of the four audiences being given
a different view and perspective. As a piece of theatre Peter is interesting and
entertaining and is a chance to showcase a range of talents and
abilities, both on and offstage, but more importantly it provides a
stage for 46, or was it 48 youngsters who brought enthusiasm in life to
the studio and to their credit, you could hear every word. As always
Stage 2 were first class. Roger Clarke |
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