The Crown Jewels

Deputising for Terry Harrison, I made my first visit to the charming Frazer Theatre to see a play about which I knew nothing at all; The Crown Jewels by Simon Nye. Premiering in 2023, this play had a short West End run and a brief tour. I suspect it relied heavily on the reputations of its professional cast, who were mostly well known for stand-up comedy or for their TV work.

The play tells the story of Thomas Blood, a self-styled Colonel of Irish ancestry who devised a plot to steal the Crown Jewels. Disguised as a clergyman and supported by an actress purporting to be his wife, he enters the Tower of London and overcomes the keeper of the jewels. The play follows the story of the Irish patriot with surprising accuracy, including the unexpected pardon which is still a mystery to all. He ended his days with his son on an Irish estate and with £500 a year to live on.

A very beautifully constructed programme set the scene for the show; the graphics were impressive. We opened with a contemporary (1660s) style ballad with music commissioned locally. Lindsay Martin had a beautiful singing voice and charmed us with her storytelling and irony. Enter John Pearce as a very imposing King Charles. As well as contributing to the plot, John was also responsible for the stand-up style audience interaction, which he handled very well.

The enemies came in the shape of Blood, Blood Junior and the hapless Perrot (Phil Pickering, Austin Heslop and Jocelyn Taylor-Cook).  Pickering commanded his role as the Colonel with a great look and a confident stillness which carried an underlying threat. He was assisted in his daring deed by Lisa Morton as Jenny Blaine. Cut to the Jewel keeper and wife who were portrayed as foolish and most of all poor. Their comedy roles were well handled by Colin Beveridge and Sarah Chisem. I particularly liked the dawning of the tacky souvenir stall, which brought a good deal of humour. Poor Elizabeth, their daughter is neglected and despised by her parents who have love only for their son. These two parts were played with panache by Lindsey Martin and Dan Brown.

Dan Brown doubled up hilariously as the Royal Footman. Bringing his ballet moves to this camp character, Dan really milked the humour as he accompanied singing on his djembe drum and sold chestnuts and swans to the audience. In Act Two, Jemma Bunting gave us a very charming cameo as the French Noblewoman and Katie Pickering amused us as the Jailer. Ian Hagues appeared as the first person to buy tourist rubbish in the 1660s.

The play was a Blackadderesque romp written in a sit com style and consequently there were many scenes to handle. This is difficult on a small stage and when a split set was used this left very limited space for the actors and consequently the scenes were quite static. But every inch of space was utilised in order to make the playing area larger and the movement into the auditorium worked really effectively. Well done to Sian Pearce for even attempting this and for making things move along smoothly.

There were some impressive props including fabulous crown jewels by Brain Llewellyn and a glittering set of gates; and wigs and costumes were most impressive. I loved the King’s gold shoes and his final outfit was truly magnificent. Congratulations to Lauren Taylor-Cook, Anne Foster and Judith Llewellyn. Lights and sound were efficiently operated by Holly Shaw who was also in charge of publicity alongside the director.

And finally, I must mention perhaps the cleverest aspect of the production: the chase scene. This bit of silent movie with music was very entertaining- and how very convenient to have a castle right around the corner. Sian was lucky to have the helpful cooperation of Heather and Louise from Knaresborough Castle and the skills of her kingly husband to produce an excellent and original idea.

Thank you for your invitation and good luck with your forthcoming shows.

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