Return to the Forbidden Planet

There are a number of stylistic demands to this show, and Wells Little Theatre ticked every box. The set, open to the auditorium so that the audience felt truly aboard the ship, suggested the wonderful sci-fi films of the fifties with a touch of the Tardis and a swishing sliding door. The double level allowed for some good pictures and varied visual aspects. The programme reflected the style of the production. The Intergalactic Flight Safety feature on the back was very amusing. 

The excellent band was appropriately situated allowing the guitarists to take full part in proceedings [even ducking down at the appropriate moment] and for the various nuances of the score to be clearly heard. There was some exciting playing while always remaining sympathetic to the actors. The balance, aided by individual hand-held microphones for the principals, was excellent throughout. Clear diction aided the audience to hear and follow the story. Everyone enjoyed the well-known numbers which were well sung and played. 

The characters were clearly defined with strong delivery and vibrant interaction. The tongue-in-cheek delivery of the well-loved Shakespearean quotes was very well handled, and the constant giggling from the auditorium proved the power of Bob Carlton’s clever use of familiar text – even going as far as some groans! A fabulous sign of success. The clear articulation of lines kept the audience engaged.  The slightly posed style was set early by the crew of SS Albatross with the extremely successful introduction so enthusiastically entered into by the audience. The style was excellently maintained by all the cast.

All the principal roles were well cast with the actors giving everything the role required.  In general most displayed good skills with hand-mikes and smooth handling with the putting away and taking out or handing on to another actor. This had all been well planned and clearly rehearsed. In fact the positioning of actors, the smoothness of the moves, the use of the space and the interaction between characters had all received attention and were played with confidence.

Despite there being some extremely impressive individual performances it was the team work of the whole company that made this production so successful. Everyone knew their role and their place in the story and worked together to produce a truly amazing evening. Yes, there had to be some stunning individual portrayals but it was the unity of the presentation that made everything so engaging.

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