Neville's Island

Knowing the boundaries and pushing the challenge is sometimes a fine line for any production within a society. Is was pleasing therefore to witness that the whole team; performers, technical crew, props, design elements were prepared to take onboard the requirements needed to provide an entertaining evening of drama. Long may it reign! There is always something satisfying about live theatre, which will never be replaced, when the audience understands and follows the storyline in sympathy and acknowledgement of the task in hand. This particular piece has underlining dark tones which can be approached in various creative ways. One could see that potential moments of stark reality were not shirked away from which the play, in my opinion, needs as a vital factor in its explanation and deliverance. In saying that how does one gauge how far down the road of reality does one go? The balance for this particular production I think was just right. There was no overkill on the water, blood or stage effects so was in keeping to the portrayal of the production.

I'm sure that all those who came to see it appreciated what dedication and commitment is necessary in performance. Actors have to be comfortable in performance to ensure that it looks 'real'. I suspect you had your moments in rehearsal when you may have thought ‘how is the audience going to react’ but rest assured they were with you all the way. In certain respects this is not a play to perform in the winter, especially if the rehearsal space is cold (if you get my drift)! It’s also good to see a small cast being focused on the task in hand. The relationships between all the characters were developed and exploited as the script dictated and the uncomfortable moments with their personal bonds explored.

All opening performances have a sense of trepidation about them but nothing awkward caught the eye and in fact the pace of dialogue was of a good rate. Movement around the acting area was appropriate and props handled with confident measures. Well done to the sourcing team for obtaining all the bits and pieces required. Sometimes I do get asked about dialects and whether actors should take then onboard relative to the location of where it is set. In most cases it’s not necessary and I feel it might have distracted in this instant. Most of the dialogue was clearly understood and delivered with energy and comprehension. The comedic moments were well timed and as mentioned the reaction between cast members came across quite naturally.

This particular interpretation held a comfortable platform within the themes explored in this Tim Firth script. I'm only guessing here but it seems that the relationship between the director and the performers certainly gave a clue as to its success in performance by all concerned. In addition all four actors carried their roles with equal weight so well done, Ian Craig, Tucker Stevens, Simon Hurst, Michael Paine and of course Heather White for directing such a robust and capable group of men.

I wonder if you had a sausage supper for the after-show party?

Stuart Lyddon on behalf of Janet Elworthy

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