Tag Archives: Sebastian Armesto

MOBY DICK

★★★★★

UK Tour

MOBY DICK at the Royal and Derngate Theatre

★★★★★

“It is one of the finest pieces of theatre I have seen”

Simple8 present an ambitious adaptation (by Sebastian Armesto) of Herman Melville’s epic 1851 adventure, directed by Jesse Jones. There is a minimal set (designer Kate Bunce) of scaffolding on either side of the stage. Through the haze can be discerned a cache of musical instruments – fiddle, cello, dulcimer, drum.

Ishmael (Mark Arends) – a well-spoken, well-dressed schoolmaster – sets the scene. He has come to Nantucket to join a whaling ship, just for the experience. As he moves from bar to bar, he hears talk of the mysterious one-legged Captain Ahab, and the name Moby Dick, anathema to many, whispered in hushed tones. Overnight, Ishmael befriends the gentle savage Queequeg (Tom Swale), and together they join the whaling ship Pequod, fatefully chosen at random.

Now the story can start in earnest. The stage is transformed as the brilliant ensemble, singing and playing throughout, builds an impression of the ship using just wooden planks and ropes. A life at sea is recreated – swabbing the deck, sharing some rum, singing songs. If much of the period dialogue is somewhat stilted, the ensemble excels at their dumbshow set-pieces. The crew man the capstan, turning the imaginary wheel with cries of heave and haul, the efforts of their hard work clear to see. A beautiful rendition of a sailing ballad is heard (Jonathan Charles musical director) as the backcloth shines in green and blue reflecting on the romance of the sea (Johanna Town lighting designer).

And then the spell is broken by the sighting of the crew’s first whale. A most brilliantly conceived and executed scene ensues. The crew row out to chase the whale, to subsequently haul it in and demonstrably kill it. The stage is flooded with red light to emphasize the bloody nature of the deed. It is one of the finest pieces of theatre I have seen.

The narrative, as in the novel, is driven by Ishmael and Mark Arends gives a towering performance in this central role – quietly spoken but assured. Captain Ahab (Guy Rhys) does a lot of shouting – the mantra is “Kill Moby Dick” – but we don’t get to the bottom of his obsession beyond that of having lost a leg. The well-spoken Hannah Emanuel gives rather a too light touch in the important role of Mr Starbuck who is the only crew member able to stand up to Ahab. Something more appropriately rougher is provided by the first mates (James Newton & William Pennington). But this is ultimately an ensemble piece with music and movement (Rachael Nanyonjo movement director) central to the storytelling and this talented cast of actor-musicians are excellent throughout. Special mention too for the cellist whose imitative sounds of whale music, especially during the final chase, is so central to the effectiveness and poignancy of the scenes.


MOBY DICK at the Royal and Derngate Theatre as part of UK tour

Reviewed on 10th April 2024

by Phillip Money

Photography by Manuel Harlan

 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE FROGS | ★★½ | January 2024
2:22 A GHOST STORY | ★★★ | January 2024
THE MIRROR CRACK’D | ★★★ | October 2022
THE TWO POPES | ★★★★ | October 2022
PLAYTIME | ★★★★ | September 2022
THE WELLSPRING | ★★★ | March 2022
BLUE / ORANGE | ★★★★ | November 2021
GIN CRAZE | ★★★★ | July 2021

MOBY DICK

MOBY DICK

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Passage to India – 3 Stars

India

Passage to India

Park Theatre

Reviewed – 23rd February 2018

★★★

“A dynamic medley of devices, all enacted with the best intentions, but the overall effect is a bit of a jumble”

 

Within the first few moments of the play, we are thrown into the crux of the story: “One cannot be friends with the English”. This is articulated by Dr Aziz, the Muslim doctor at the heart of “A Passage To India”, based on E. M. Forster’s 1924 novel. Set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian Independence Movement in the run up to the First World War, the question – how can we love one another in a world divided by culture and belief – is what drives this drama.

A young British schoolmistress, Adela Quested, and her elderly friend, Mrs Moore, are visiting India, primarily for Adela to decide if she wants to marry Mrs Moore’s son, Ronny, a local city magistrate. During a trip to the fictitious Marabar Caves, Adela thinks she finds herself alone with Dr. Aziz in one of the caves (when in fact he is in an entirely different cave), and subsequently panics and flees; it is assumed that Dr. Aziz has attempted to assault her. Aziz’s trial, and its run-up and aftermath, bring to a boil the common racial tensions and prejudices between Indians and the British who rule India.

Simple8’s production tackles these issues, with a spirited mix of physical drama, expositional dialogue, internal monologue and original live music. A dynamic medley of devices, all enacted with the best intentions, but the overall effect is a bit of a jumble. The key topics lose weight under the lightness with which they are treated, which is no bad thing in itself, but the polemic is often wooden and the conversation peppered with laboured platitudes. There are exceptions. Asif Khan, who plays the sympathetic local physician Dr Aziz, and Liz Crowther’s Mrs Moore exemplify best the dichotomy of the relations among the Britons and the Indians. When they first meet in a mosque the doctor blindly chides the English woman for profaning his scared place, but is then disarmed by her respect for the native customs and they become friends. There is a rare warmth and empathy between these characters that unfortunately is too often absent elsewhere.

Where Simon Dormandy’s adaptation does shine, however, is when the characters step free from the action to address the audience. These more internalised moments allow for a crescendo of the live music, which elevates the drama immeasurably. The score, played live by the composer Kuljit Bhamra and musician Asha McCarthy is the highlight of the evening, but sadly underused.

Dormandy, who also directs with Sebastian Armesto, eschews the use of props and set, but unwittingly the characters and scenes suffer too. The complexity is reduced to a series of soundbites and the poignancy is often lost, although the committed cast do rescue the production and enable us to see the potential and the possible richness of the material that is hinted at. However, we never really get to the heart of the matter – the tensions and the dualities. Nor do we get a real sense of the over-riding mystery: Forster took great care in his novel to strike a distinction between the ideas of the “muddle” and “mystery” of India. This production, however, serves to blur the distinction. It is more muddle than mystery.

 

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Idil Sukan

 


Passage to India

Park Theatre until 24th March

 

 

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