Pippin

Rarely performed, Pippin tells the story of a young man’s quest for self-fulfillment and seeking personal glory. It’s a bit of a hazy story told through a side show element of the circus and extraordinary players. The extended half circle stage extension, the floor seating and flown bunting and stage accessories had us feeling as if we had entered the circus ring. We settled down to follow this story and experience the talents of the extraordinary players who brought us this fantastic production. There was never a moment in the entire production where nothing happened, every musical note, lyric and thought moved and choreographed with style. Chris JS Wilson’s work brings unique and excellent storytelling and I have always enjoyed his creativity in the productions that I have seen over the years. In this production there was a small ensemble, and each person displayed an extremely high level of performance. There were a few outstanding performances and I’d like to mention the role of Pippin played by Dominic Spencer-Hendren. An accomplished vocalist and extremely competent actor he performed to a very high standard. Neve Crooks the Leading Player left no stone unturned in her polished performance and owned every inch of the stage, a very talented performer. The entire story, told mostly though music, was slick and detailed and excellent vocals and acting from the principals and ensemble allowed this quirky story and production to flow with ease. The ending was poignant and as Pippin did not perform his grand finale, despite the many grand and sometimes strange things he did, he choose to lead a simple contented life. Theo, played by Finn Morris-Ellis on the night I attended, sang the verse of “Corner of the Sky” with lovely sentiment. I have no doubt at all that Calum Middleton would have played an equally excellent role as Theo. The band lead by musical director Andy McDonald was extremely well balanced and we experienced light and shade and a great connection with the singers.  Simple and effective lighting design enhanced the already excellent staging. This is a small and compact venue to work in and I think this show worked particularly well in it. Well done to all involved who brought us this quirky story.

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