Tag Archives: Mark Desebrock

It’s a Wonderful Life

★★★★★

Reading Rep Theatre

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IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE at Reading Rep Theatre

★★★★★

“If you feel like a great big Christmas hug, go along and see this elegant and lovely show”

Who hasn’t seen ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’, the classic 1946 Christmas film directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart? It’s a hugely popular and tear-jerking Christmas tale of all-American neighbourliness in which humble George Bailey always puts others before himself. Except that things go horribly wrong for him. The only remedy is to send three heavenly envoys down to Earth on Christmas Eve to prevent him from ending it all. The original story was loosely inspired by Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and is presented by Reading Rep in Mary Elliott Nelson’s theatrical adaptation, first performed in 2000.

A cast of just four faultlessly juggle three or more roles apiece in this highly inspired show – Mark Desebrock (Hedda Gabler: Reading Rep, Hamlet: Almeida West End), Eugene Evans (Peter Pan: Reading Rep, Romeo & Juliet: Lyric Theatre), Orla O’Sullivan (War of The Worlds and We’ll Catch Stardust Yes We Will: The Vaults) and Charlotte Warner (A Christmas Carol, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Reading Rep).

Mark Desebrock makes a strong impression as the sweet-natured banker George Bailey, who is well-matched with Orla O’Sullivan as his wife Mary and as a second class and so far wingless angel called Clarissa (Clarence in the movie). She shows George all the lives he has transformed and how much worse the world would be had he not existed. Eugene Evans is the wicked villain of the piece, scruple-free businessman Mr Gower, and also (with hardly a pause for breath) a soft spoken angel. Charlotte Warner is the third angel and also George’s characterful aunt.

In this delightful show, Libby Todd’s set and costumes are quite ingenious. Pale colours designate the angels and brighter colours the townspeople. The set is dominated by an enclosing arch formed by a lattice of grey snow-topped girderwork, its arc echoing the circle of snow on the floor and also the globes carried by the angels. There’s a bridge at the back of the set from which George plans to jump. It all works nicely with Aaron J Dootson’s sophisticated lighting design, with a backdrop of stars and colour changes that symbolise different kinds of action on stage.

Reading Rep have a hit on their hands in this heart-warming evocation of small town America with a universal appeal. If you feel like a great big Christmas hug, go along and see this elegant and lovely show. ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ runs in repertory with ‘Potted Panto’ until December 30th.


IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE at the Reading Rep Theatre

Reviewed on 5th December 2023

by David Woodward

Photography by Harry Elletson


 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Shakespeare’s R&J | ★★★★ | October 2023
Hedda Gabler | ★★★★★ | February 2023
Dorian | ★★★★ | October 2021

It’s a Wonderful Life

It’s a Wonderful Life

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Hedda Gabler

Hedda Gabler

★★★★★

Reading Rep Theatre

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HEDDA GABLER at the Reading Rep Theatre

★★★★★

Hedda Gabler

“a thrillingly inventive show, with strong and engaging performances from every cast member”

 

The programme promises an ‘electric’ performance ‘steeped in queer rage exploring how the most famous female character of all time is trapped within a life chosen for her’. This off-putting hyperbole shouldn’t stop you rushing to see this terrific re-imagining of Ibsen’s famous 1891 masterpiece.

Turn-of-the-century Norway has become present day London in Harriet Madeley’s sassy new play which is a co-production with A Girl Called Stephen Theatre, which has as its mission ‘queer/womxn led theatre for Reading and beyond’. The script is sharp and witty with heaps of semi-poetic dialogue that includes a knowing line about White Company bedlinen and another about school mums with ‘puffa coats and keep cups’. In this production there’s also clever use of a pair of microphones that heighten the audience’s appreciation of key passages of dialogue.

The cast of five is directed by Annie Kershaw. She has put together a thrillingly inventive show, with strong and engaging performances from every cast member. Anna Popplewell fizzes with magnificent frustration as Hedda, stuck in a new marriage with an innocent young academic called George. This may be her first stage role, but she has distinguished film and TV credits including the Chronicles of Narnia for Disney and Love in a Cold Climate for the BBC.

Mark Desebrock’s George (Globe on Tour, Beauty and the Beast at NT and many more) is likeably naïve and a perfect foil to Hedda. Ryan Gerald makes George’s publisher Brack a vividly gangling wide-boy. George’s former male colleague and new rival Eilert Lövborg has become Hedda’s lover Isla in this show. She’s played with energy and conviction by Jessica Temple (Peter Pan, National Theatre and roles at Nottingham and Bristol). Natalie Perera strikes just the right note for Thea, Isla’s slightly goofy and foolish lover and co-worker.

Designer Amy Watts has devised a striking set with a deep well almost like a boxing ring at its centre. The simple design enables some impressively creative lighting design by Murong Li. The sound design by Jamie Lu is similarly smart, with some subtle atmospheric sounds that ramp up the tension just when it is needed.

In the thrilling second half, the light-hearted verbal fisticuffs shift up several gears. To escape her trap, Hedda must ‘do something beautiful’. An impressive denouement is achieved at speed and with the shocking impact of the best classical tragedy.

 

Reviewed on 27th February 2023

by David Woodward

Photography by Harry Elletson

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

 

Dorian | ★★★★ | October 2021

 

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