Arcadia

Arcadia – tranquility, pastoral, intellectual - I loved the clear elegance of the opening set. Clearly the abode of the learned and ‘landed’ 18th Century elite.The highly significant, polished and unladen upper class sitting room table. Centre-stage throughout, it transformed along with the action. It would eventually bring us into the 21st century – where all the theories discussed earlier as possibilities, had been realised .No longer revered, its polished surface that commanded attention and admiration was transformed. It became a utility piece of furniture – ladened with the articles of daily life of the modern family’s interaction.

Congratulations to the whole cast who thoroughly entertained us. You wove magic into Stoppard’s words. It truly was an ensemble triumph. Christy Hodge’s Septimus Hodge demanded attention as did Elizabeth Watson as the precocious and painfully intelligent Thomasina and her mother as Lady Croom played by Laura Maflin certainly carried that role perfectly. Tracy Parvin as Hannah Jarvis and Bernard Nightingale’s Stephen Smith were convincing and amusing in their smart banter over their differing opinions in the modern day.

Director Roy Drinkwater: you and your team had clearly paid great attention to detail – all your characters were honed and the action flowed. The Hinchcliffe family must have eaten, and dreamt Arcadia with two actors and Tim Hinchcliffe’s excellent set design! A talented family indeed.

Again – well done to everyone involved in this superb production.

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