Tag Archives: Theatre Royal Windsor

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

★★

UK Tour

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

Theatre Royal Windsor

★★

“lacks the necessary passion and pace to engage us fully.”

The heroine of Thomas Hardy’s nineteenth century novel, ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’, was named after the Biblical queen consort Bathsheba, the beautiful Israelite who captivated David. Witnessing her bathing, the young shepherd is overcome by lust – which was the least of his ensuing problems. Hardy borrowed the name and some of the characteristics for his protagonist. Most notably the vanity, independent spirit and the magnetic hold she has over the men who pursue her. Set in the fictionalised Wessex, the story centres on Bathsheba’s three infatuated suitors, Gabriel Oak, William Boldwood and Sergeant Francis Troy. As they each vie for her affections she plays with their hearts, often unaware of the devastating effects on those around her – and on her.

Conn Artists Theatre Company have created a faithful interpretation of the novel, even if their regard to include all the key moments results in a rather long evening. It is a brave undertaking to tell the story with just five actors onstage and for the most part they pull it off. We are never left in any doubt as to what is going on and, despite the multi-rolling, the characters are easily identifiable and clear cut. The commitment to their characters is evident and each performer is adept at intermittently stepping into the role of narrator without tripping up the narrative. Director Nick Young’s job has been made that much easier by the diligent cast.

The tone is set with a touch of folk music; time and place pinpointed by Laura Kimber’s costume. The practical limitations of touring, though, leave Kimber’s set (particularly the rural Shutterstock-style video backdrops) a touch misaligned with the playing space, and little thought has gone into the props, with an over reliance on cuddly toys or offstage animal noises. But there’s the rub! The often harsh and adult themes of the story – of love, betrayal, honour – clash unforgivingly with the play’s execution. Bordering on patronising, we feel the need to look around to check that we are not in a school hall. Heightened gestures and raised voices teeter on the verge of parody, yet this show takes itself too seriously to follow through and we are left confused as to who should be watching.

A calm, solid figure in the midst is Abi Casson Thompson’s Bathsheba. An assured stage presence, she is the anchor that prevents the others from wading too far out into the depths of melodrama. Yet still unsure enough of herself not to realise it is she who is pushing them out there in the first place. Joshua Davey, as the humble and honest Gabriel, is the first to fall for her charms but cannot break her independent spirit. Time passes, during which Gabriel loses his fortune and Bathsheba finds hers, and when they meet again after Gabriel saves her newly inherited farm from a fire, he thinks he has another shot at her affections. But enter William Boldwood. Ross Muir (also the co-writer along with director Nick Young) takes the character’s name to heart in a portrayal that is bold yet wooden as he refuses to give up his pursuit. The tragic consequences of his obsession are ultimately diluted in a farcical denouement. Meanwhile, Jaymes Sygrove vainly struts and frets as Sergeant Troy. Even more narcissistic than Bathsheba, he is the one who traps her into marriage. But as he has already impregnated poor orphan girl, Fanny Robin, we know it’s going to end in tears. Or worse. Emily Huxter gives a waif-like vulnerability to Fanny, whenever she isn’t singing or adopting an array of ensemble roles.

We are in for the long haul. A little short of three hours we feel that a crack of the whip wouldn’t go amiss. And ultimately, we never feel the struggles Bathsheba endures to assert herself in a man’s world. The elements are all there, but the essence hasn’t been captured. The touches of live, period music add atmosphere but still don’t let us into Hardy’s world. We have been led through storms, fires, thwarted love and tragedy; and witnessed betrayal and disloyalty, recklessness and retribution. Yet, unsure of its intended audience, this show lacks the necessary passion and pace to engage us fully.



FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

Theatre Royal Windsor then UK tour continues

Reviewed on 11th March 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Sam Pharoah

 

 


 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

PRIDE & PREJUDICE (SORT OF) | ★★★ | February 2025
BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF | ★★★★ | January 2025
FILUMENA | ★★★★ | October 2024
THE GATES OF KYIV | ★★★★ | September 2024
ACCOLADE | ★★★½ | June 2024
OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR | ★★★★ | April 2024
CLOSURE | ★★★★ | February 2024
THE GREAT GATSBY | ★★★ | February 2024

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

PRIDE & PREJUDICE* (*SORT OF)

★★★

UK Tour

PRIDE & PREJUDICE* (*SORT OF)

Theatre Royal Windsor

★★★

“The audience were there for a fun night out and they left happy”

The UK national tour of Pride & Prejudice* (*Sort Of) opened this week at the beautiful Theatre Royal Windsor.

Pride & Prejudice* (*Sort Of) by Isobel McArthur, after Jane Austen, is a fun reinvention of Austen’s caustic tale of love and manners, performed by an all-female cast of five, with double-quick costume changes, playing all the roles. Audiences never seem to tire of the endless TV, films and theatre productions based on Austen’s beloved classic period romance, and devoted fans will quickly recognise a nod to Colin Firth’s Darcy “wet shirt” scene in this adaptation.

The original production of the show started life at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow, went to the Fringe, toured, transferred to the West End and won an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2022. This current touring production feels somewhat re-hashed and clunky, knowing too well where the comedy moments are; be it the cast as baaing sheep, presenting a plate of Ferrero Rocher at a ball, grabbing a mike and singing a karaoke song or a quick change – it will get a laugh out of the audience. The biggest laughs of the night were always the casual expletives.…

Comedy is centre stage as we meet the five, playing below stairs maids wearing white Regency style petticoats and yellow marigolds, cleaning the Bennet family’s chamber pots. They rue Austen’s lack of care for the servants in her books, who never get a happy ending. Then with a grab of a microphone they break into song and turn into Mrs Bennet and the five Bennet sisters – well four Bennet sisters, we don’t ever meet Kitty.

McArthur’s adaptation is for modern audiences to enjoy and mostly keeps close to the original story of the Regency period dating game, when women could not inherit wealth and must marry for financial gain. A few new touches include friend Charlotte’s unrequited love for Elizabeth Bennet – but she still ends up with Mr Collins.

The cast of young actresses Emma Rose Creaner, Eleanor Kane, Rhianna McGreevy, Naomi Preston Low and Christine Steel clearly relish all the roles that they play as the tale of the uncouth Mrs Bennet’s race to marry off her five dowry-less daughters before they lose the family home unfolds. We never meet Mr Bennet, who is played by a back facing armchair reading an open newspaper – genius casting! Love is eventually found with Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy but not with the devil may care Wickham.

Slightly disconcerting to the ear, was the fact that all the Bennet family members had different accents, as the cast were playing them with their own natural accent, making the production feel slightly studenty, but perhaps that was the intention. A standout moment was Rhianna McGreevy capturing Darcy’s pride with his sincere love for Elizabeth Bennet, with the audience routing for him to win her hand. And then there was Emma Rose Creaner whose every role was beautifully delivered be it her feisty Irish maid, the accident prone, stuck hand in a Pringle carton Mr Bingley, the dull yet softly spoken Charlotte or the stuck-up vicious Caroline Bingley.

Ana Inés Jabares-Pita’s set featuring a curved staircase, was cleverly designed to transform into another stately home or ballroom by simply adding a modern standard lamp or a life size horse (!), and her costumes were uncomplicated yet said everything that needed to be said about each character.

The audience were there for a fun night out and they left happy.



PRIDE & PREJUDICE* (*SORT OF)

Theatre Royal Windsor then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 17th February 2025

by Debbie Rich

Photography by Mihaela Bodlovic

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF | ★★★★ | January 2025
FILUMENA | ★★★★ | October 2024
THE GATES OF KYIV | ★★★★ | September 2024
ACCOLADE | ★★★½ | June 2024
OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR | ★★★★ | April 2024
CLOSURE | ★★★★ | February 2024
THE GREAT GATSBY | ★★★ | February 2024
ALONE TOGETHER | ★★★★ | August 2023

PRIDE

PRIDE

PRIDE