Tag Archives: Lauren Jamieson

TESS

★★★★

UK Tour

TESS

New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth

★★★★

“The direction is expertly crafted, ensuring that every movement and physical interaction serves a purpose”

Ockham’s Razor has achieved something extraordinary with Tess, a bold and breath-taking adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles that fuses theatre, movement, and contemporary circus to re-imagine Hardy’s 1891 tragic novel. Through inventive staging and visceral physicality, the company distils this tale of endurance, injustice, and resilience into something immediate and deeply affecting.

The story follows Tess Durbeyfield, a young woman from a poor rural family who is sent to seek kinship with the wealthy D’Urbervilles after her father learns of their supposed aristocratic lineage. There, she falls prey to the manipulative Alec D’Urberville, an event that alters her life forever. Seeking a fresh start, she later finds love with the idealistic Angel Clare, but when he learns of her past, his rejection leaves her struggling to survive in a world that offers her little compassion. As Tess fights against the rigid moral codes of Victorian society, she finds herself once more in Alec’s grasp, leading to a final desperate act that seals her fate.

The striking set design of shifting wooden planks, towering walls, and billowing linen is integral to the storytelling, creating a constantly evolving landscape that mirrors Tess’s emotional and physical journey. The performers interact seamlessly with their surroundings, swinging, climbing, and manipulating the set with an urgency that reflects her struggles. Production designer Tina Bicât keeps the staging simple yet evocative, while Aideen Malone’s lighting and Daniel Denton’s projections shift fluidly to enhance the ever-changing atmosphere.

The cast of seven deliver extraordinary performances, both physically and emotionally. Tess is portrayed by two performers: Lila Naruse, who serves as the narrator, recounting her story with a soft West Country lilt while slipping in and out of dialogue, and Anna Crichlow, who embodies Tess’s physical journey through movement, expressing her emotions with acrobatics and dance. Their dual performance is quietly powerful with one Tess speaking, while the other relives events with no ability to change them. A particularly moving moment comes when one Tess reaches out to hold the other’s hand in silent support, reinforcing the sense of inevitability that haunts her story.

The predatory Alec D’Urberville is played with an unsettling charisma by Joshua Frazer, while Angel Clare is brought to life with both idealism and naivety by Nat Whittingham, making his betrayal all the more painful. Both actors also take on ensemble roles, and particularly in Frazer’s case, it is striking to see how posture, movement, and a quick costume change transform him from one of Tess’s mischievous younger siblings into a predatory seducer.

Lauren Jamieson, Victoria Skillen, and Leah Wallings play multiple roles throughout, from the romping Durbeyfield children to barroom brawlers, but particularly shine in two comedic sequences as the trio of dairymaids vying for Angel’s attention.

The adaptation, by directors Alex Harvey and Charlotte Mooney, streamlines the novel’s plot while maintaining its emotional depth. Tess’s journey is strikingly depicted, for instance, her initial trip to the D’Urbervilles sees her navigating an intricate sequence of angled planks, with projected mountain ranges behind her emphasising the sheer scale of her world. This is later mirrored when she flees from Alec, retracing her route backwards, a breathtakingly choreographed sequence performed in reverse that heightens the sense of her desperation.

One of the production’s most visually powerful moments comes during Alec’s seduction of Tess, represented through a Cyr wheel routine. What starts as a peacocking display of skill becomes something darker as Alec lures Tess into his orbit, quite literally drawing her into his circle, trapping her. Their final encounter, which drives Tess to flee, is almost unseen, shrouded in darkness and accompanied by an unsettling soundscape. With one Tess watching helplessly as events unfold, reinforcing how ingeniously this dual portrayal captures the inevitability of her fate.

The direction is expertly crafted, ensuring that every movement and physical interaction serves a purpose. The integration of circus arts is not just for spectacle but a vital storytelling tool, making Tess’s struggles feel immediate and visceral. The music and sound design by Holly Khan further heighten the drama, weaving folk-inspired melodies with an atmospheric score that underscores Tess’s emotional journey. The costumes, designed by Bicât, balance historical authenticity with functionality, allowing the performers full range of movement while remaining firmly rooted in Hardy’s world.

This production masterfully transforms Hardy’s prose into something immediate and deeply affecting, distilling its themes of power, privilege, consent, and female agency (or lack thereof) in a way that still resonates today. Through bold direction, inventive staging, and an emotionally rich interpretation, Tess proves that even the darkest of literary classics can be re-imagined with breath-taking vitality.



TESS

New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 25th February 2025

by Ellen Cheshire

Photography by Kie Cummings

 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST | ★★★★ | December 2024

 

Tess

Tess

Tess

Tarot

Tarot

★★★★

VAULT Festival 2020

Tarot

Tarot

Forge – The Vaults

Reviewed – 29th January 2020

★★★★

 

“discipline, creativity and spontaneity collide, tension rises and falls, pace quickens and slows”

 

Amidst the multitude and diversity of acts at VAULT Festival, ‘Tarot’ offers a unique experience which brings together the creative talent and flair of The Feathers of Daedalus Circus, soul-funk group, Yoshi and the charmingly wry yet piquant host, Ruby Wednesday. As we enter the Forge, the underground jazz club cabaret scene is set as the band sit on stage in the semi-dark, conjuring up a mystical soundscape. Through a brief introduction and explanation of tarot, Ruby Wednesday’s seductive sharpness leads the audience into the deck of images and enigmas. The show begins. Cards in turn are defined by the host and illustrated by dramatic acrobatics and aerial expertise; the Fool dances on his hands, the Hanged Man twists and turns on the rope, hand to hand balancing depicts Strength and the Devil contorts around suspended chains. The troupe (Imogen Huzel, Josh Frazer, Tessa Blackman and Lauren Jamieson) alternate their set pieces with improvised numbers during Ruby Wednesday’s live tarot readings with members of the audience. And as if this were not enough, the eclectic band of musicians produce a lavish range of styles to accompany the pictures. Equally at home playing sleazy jazz as atmospheric ethnic timbres or electronic sound design, lead singer, Ben Smith also gives us some inspired vocal improvisation and rap.

The team works together with a refreshing lack of protagonism and there is always something on stage to watch – if not the aerial hoop or Cyr wheel, then the bassist and drummer playing a gamelan duet or Ruby Wednesday’s fiery finale. It is true that ‘Tarot’ ties together a rather random collection of skills and ideas; discipline, creativity and spontaneity collide, tension rises and falls, pace quickens and slows. But it succeeds through the abundance of craftsmanship and the unusual proximity to this kind of performance, which immerses us in the technical and inventive worlds.

Irresistibly watchable, ‘Tarot’ is original, free-spirited and entertaining.

 

Reviewed by Joanna Hetherington

Photography by Rah Petherbridge

 

VAULT Festival 2020

Click here to see all our reviews from VAULT Festival 2020