Shadowlands

~~This play is by William Nicholson and is based on the life of the writer C.S. ‘Jack’ Lewis and his friendship with an American lady Joy Gresham who admires his works. It is a very moving story of their life together and how his life gets turned upside down through out the play.
Alan Ponting is excellent in his portrayal of Lewis, and has a great deal to say in the play making it all seems so easy as he just becomes character with ease.
Kitty Cecil-Wright was lovely as Joy Gresham with a very professional performance again this was nice to watch, unfortunately, having just broken her foot in real life Kitty had to use crutches but even this didn’t distract the play in anyway.
Other members of the cast all did a splendid job, as the lecturers and friends, doctors and nurse but to mention a few I liked David Luker who played (Warnie Lewis) Jack’s brother. Clive Rigden (Professor Christopher Riley), Andrew Simpson the (Priest) and Christopher Fradd (Rev. Harry Harrington) and Max Lucas played a delightful (Douglas) Joy’s son. This is a very touching and moving story played very well by all.
Gillian Pitt had a great cast to work with and there are some very nice moments and a lot of thought had been put into the play. I really liked the way one of the professors cycled off across the stage and out to the front entrance on his way home. Side projection added space to the scenes, becoming Oxford, the garden, and the honeymoon in Greece. The set was very cleaver with the moving bookcases to change from the house to Joy’s home and the college and the hospital. There was a nice magical Narnia area when the bookcase opened revealing a lit tree.
Well done to all concerned.
 

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