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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 Half stars fall between the ratings |
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A stairway to laughter
The 39 Steps
The Nonentities
Rose Theatre, Kidderminster
**** WHAT would John Buchan or even Alfred Hitchcock have thought of this melodramatic adaptation of the spy thriller that Buchan wrote and Hitchcock filmed? Patrick Barlow has taken the outline of Buchan's
plot and transformed into a farcical comedy in the style of productions
by the Reduced Shakespeare Company with brilliant results! A cast of four deliver a rapid and comic sequence
of scenes which are best enjoyed if you have read or seen the original
story. Barlow freely changes elements of plot and character to provide a
series of romantic adventures for Richard Hannay, who in the original
was a confirmed bachelor with no hint of such liaisons. The basic backdrop is adapted to provide a whole
range of different scenes with a few basic props and elements of stage
furniture or set, usually on wheels to enable speed of set and strike!
The moving lamppost, the hotel foyer, the double bedroom at the inn, the
moors, the train inside and rooftop, all come and go in rapid succession
along with many more! The first of the cast members plays the hero,
Richard Hannay. The female actress provides the various ladies with whom
Hannay finds himself entangled. The other two players cover all the many
other remaining characters, heroes, villains, men, women, policemen, all
- switching hats, accents and mannerisms in double quick time with
hilarious effects. The Nonentities provided a lively and very
entertaining evening with this production. There are a lot of technical
challenges which were achieved with precision and skill! The wheels of a
light aircraft crossing the scene scanning the moors for the fugitive
Hannay; the street lamp, the timing of sound cues, swivelling of picture
frames, the political lectern transformed into a car steering column -
the technical demands were met excellently. The cast are required to deliver a high-octane
performance with virtually no moments of respite offstage! Richard
Taylor as Hannay has great comic timing, was very versatile and
maintained an energetic tempo. Louise Fulwell as the various female
liaisons provided a good foil with her varied costumes and accents
helping to provide delightful variations in character. Chris Clarke and Bob Graham were the two 'clowns'
who mopped up the roles of the policemen chasing Hannay, the nasty
foreign villains in their sinister macs and hats, the Scottish farmer,
the couple running the guest house, the camp Chief Inspector of Police,
the daily who discovers the corpse and the stage entertainers at the
London Palladium! They performed with tremendous vigour, flexibility and
lively eccentricity, and clothes rippling comically in the wind, to keep
the evening moving apace. This was a very enjoyable evening, with few
moments where the action slowed. This was a thoroughly entertaining
comic production enjoyed by a full house and maintaining the best
traditions of local theatre. The Nonentities are in for a great week! To
11-10-14 Timothy Crow
08-10-14 |
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