Nevermore

Nevermore was disturbing. From the moment I parked outside and saw all the windows blacked out I knew I was going to see something very different - I was intrigued. Nevermore was played very much in the round instead of a traditional stage set up, the chairs for the audience were placed one row deep in an almost open ended oval, upon reflection I do now see this as subconsciously being an eye - we were being placed into the authors eye to observe and experience everything, quite a clever thing to do.

Black curtains were hung behind all the chairs creating a very intimate space, eerie music and wind rushing noises could be heard. The audience as they entered fell into a very subdued silence and not much general chatter or noise was heard before the performance started. It put me very much in mind of a moving art installation, there was a lot of drama in the immediate visual presentation. We had been warned about the "Shudders" walking around us as we came in through the door. The "Shudders" were the actors in full hooded cloaks that moved silently around the audience all through the performance and pre performance, we couldn't see their faces due to the cloak hoods - the whole effect was sinister, disturbing and slightly uncomfortable which set the whole tone for the performance. Some lights were hung at different intervals to create different colour washes which added a whole other level of atmospheric tension.

Angelique Stevenson-Taylor took on the part of Shadow which is almost a narrator and links the tales. She used a very monotonous tone and was stood right in front of various audience members, but looking beyond them, to all the actors, we the audience didn't exist. Mark Harrison gave a good, solid performance as The Young in The Tell Tale Heart. Right from the start it was obvious to the audience that his character was hearing voices in his head and was going mad, the way he portrayed his spiralling was frenzied yet controlled. Pace was good and not rushed, his destruction of the jelly heart both disturbed and slightly sickened me - job well done. 
Kitty Jewitt (Rebecca) and Adrian Middleton (Edgar) took centre stage next for The Fall of the House of Usher. All of Poe's works are filled with deep darkness, despair and loss, I did however feel the portrayal of this piece was a little lighter than the previous one, Chemistry was good between Kitty and Adrian but pace and timing was a little stuttered, it didn't seem to flow as easily. Stage space was used well and facial expressions were evident. In all the tales the actors moved their own props and there was no scenery as such Next out was The Oval Portrait which I have to admit I loved, it was very self evident and definitely a lighter piece as in much less visciously and viscously macabre. Marie, Marina and Russell Mansfield did a good job in this complete mime piece, I loved the photo frame, the whole body language had to be portrayed to all sides - there was no hiding.

Chris Williamson gave us a great performance as Sante in The Pit and The Pendulum, he fully absorbed his character and gave us a fantastic raw performance, there was light and shade in his ramblings, pace was excellent, his inner turmoil evident. It was a very strong performance. Soph Moss as Prospero  in The Masque of the Red Death was every inch the thoughtless, entitled Prince, diction was good, pace was good, the sudden element of the drama when the red hooded figure appeared was a fabulous juxtaposition. Our final visitation was to The Raven played by Marie Williamson, sound was good, visualisation was interesting - the group reading the individual verses all turning their pages at the same time, the synchronised head turns . I personally would have liked to hear a bit more light and shade in the dialogue delivery but this is a piece very much open to interpretation by each individual Director.

The costumes throughout were very much in keeping with the era of the tales . The performance as a whole was definitely thought provoking, dark, deep and innovative, a little known secret - I am a real "softy" can't deal with any kind of horror or things like that - Little Shop of Horrors frightens me!  This production gave me nightmares for two weeks solid! Well Done, H'All Things Drama, you certainly tested the boundaries and didn't play safe. Thank you for your hospitality, I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.