Company

An experiment with a new venue requires careful selection of the show and this was an admirable choice. Described by its composer as being something of an experiment itself, with the action taking place in various apartments, it is ideally suited to an intimate theatre such as this. There is no plot, simply an assessment of one single man’s relationships with five married couples, who are his acquaintances, and his three girlfriends. After the entire “company” of 14 features in the opening number, we go on to meet each character in turn and all succeeded in convincing us of their differing personalities. Sondheim’s words and music often present a challenge but this was not a problem to any of this excellent cast. I particularly enjoyed the expertise with which Rhian Wells (Marta) and Rachael Wilkinson (Amy) handled their difficult and wordy songs. But throughout the evening we share the company of the central character, Robert, and Nik Briggs excelled in the role. Seldom, if ever, off stage, his was a convincing performance, never more so than in his rendition of “Being Alive”, delivered from a spot within touching distance of the front row of the audience.

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