Merlin and Morgana

This performance of Merlin and Morgana was for friends and family of Gold Company of Yew Tree Youth Theatre and was performed with the stunning backdrop of the historic Sandal Castle on a perfect summers day when even the clouds seemed to be choreographed to perfection.   This was a brand-new interpretation of the Legend of King Arthur written by Sarah Osborne and Jeevan Ganatra.  With very few props and only the natural scenery this company made the most of the beautiful setting and enhanced it with atmospheric music and sound effects operated by Ashton Howick

The company of actors gave a strong and clear performance with all lib perfectly delivered in the open air setting without any use of any microphones.  The characters wore simple black costumes, but each individual.  There was good use of movement to progress from scene to scene and the actors used the open space with confidence without interrupting the presentation for the audience who could comfortably see and hear all the action.   The Knights of the Round Table and ensemble characters all held their roles throughout without anyone appearing to be out of character for a moment despite being on stage for the full duration of the production.

Alise Germova was distinguished as Morgana, eloquently showing the change in the character towards the end of the play.  Alise worked well with Jeevan Ganatra as Merlin, who became almost anxious of his abilities and power over Arthur.  King Arthur was well played by Layla Allen with strong delivery and great characterisation.  Fern Randal was a most ethereal Guinevere, caught in her entanglement with Lancelot and Arthur.   Randal did particularly well as she had been drafted into the role as a result of illness by another cast member.    Bella Miller was effortlessly evil as Mordred and both she and Layla as Arthur handled the physicality of their roles well.

The story line provided an interesting interpretation of the legend, giving it an up-to-date focus with an entertaining presentation.  I particularly enjoyed the humour in the crowd scenes and the clever transitions all of which were perfectly managed showing sophisticated direction and strong written material.

Congratulations to everyone involved, but particularly the writers for creating a beautiful piece of theatre.

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