Reviews

A strong sense of danger and menace lurks in this courageous contemporary interpretation of The Bacchae.  It is a vital production, performed in raw and natural way, without artifice, by girls and young women from St Martins Youth Arts Centre. It is apparently the culmination of the results of these young performers being empowered and supported to self-devise around the ‘adult themes’ of The Bacchae. 

Word leaked out from the rehearsal floor that this play was a barrel of laughs  (or maybe a burrow) and the rumour was on the money.  The premise was preposterous and just a little true. German rabbit breeder Johann Wertheim has attracted the attention of the “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-il \, who  dispatches his agent to bring back a prized a giant rabbit, no matter what the cost.

Funny Thing is one of my favourite comic musicals, a delightful romp, so the prospect of a performance by University students was mouth-watering. It did not disappoint.

Apart from the energy of the performers, there were different twists I had not encountered before. After Pseudolus’s initial introduction the stage opened on a scene from the film of Les Miserables with galley slaves being whipped, before he repeated “Tragedy Tomorrow!” and the curtains closed again.

The biggest stars of the show were not around to take a bow. Set designer and maker Bob Peet and costume maker James Worner deserved an ovation for the visual splendour they brought to this production.

Most delightful were the candles for Lumiere which ignited always on cue, the grand French chest of drawers for Madam De La Grande Bouche and the wind up clock for Cogsworth.