Angels Among the Trees. To 19 June.

Nottingham

ANGELS AMONG THE TREES
by Jonathan Holloway

Nottingham Playhouse To 19 June 2004
Runs 2hr 10min One interval
Tue-Sat 7.45pm Mat Sat 12 June 2.30pm Thu 17 June 1.30pm

TICKETS: 0115 9419419. www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk
Review: Jen Mitchell: 9 June 2004

A harrowing and emotional tale exploring the very limits of humanity.A specially commissioned script, and part of a trilogy exploring the experiences of groups of people who have subjected themselves to extreme adversity, this play follows the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party as they struggle to survive the journey across America to California in 1846, and is as harrowing as they come.

The small cast take on a multitude of roles between them and it takes some time for the individual characters to establish themselves fully; throughout the opening scenes I remained slightly confused as these various roles are slipped into and out of by the cast. Things are not helped by the early narrative, which appears to plunge us in mid-story leaving the audience slightly disorientated for a while.

This early confusion is, however, fleeting and the plot unfolds in a series of short scenes of significant chronological episodes throughout the journey. As the narrative unfolds, characters reveal themselves as individuals; the actors are then able to adapt to their differing roles with ease.

As the boundaries of human endurance are pushed to their limits, people reveal the best and worst of themselves and the lengths to which they will go to ensure survival. Survival of the fittest? Not always, although the Sheffield man William Foster (played excellently by Tony Bell) is the first member of the party to resort to cannibalism. But in his mind the crime is lessened by the fact his quarry are native Americans.

Much of the hardship is suggested until the front of the stage is lifted to reveal the interior of the cabin where some of the survivors spent the winter. In a shocking moment of harsh realism we suddenly become aware of the truth of the situation as a young girls explains matter-of-factly to the first rescue party how parts of a man's body were ripped away to be eaten when necessary.

As the second rescue party appear they are implored not to look in the back of the cabin at the pile of half eaten bodies, one of whom is William Foster's baby son, hung, then carved up like a ham. Compelling and powerful stuff - there is almost too much emotion to absorb.

It is easy early on to make moral judgements but as time passes it becomes increasingly difficult to do so. Neither are we invited to, but the question remains: given the same set of circumstances where would our boundaries lie?

Of the 87 Donner Party members, only 42 survived.

Patrick Dolan/William Foster/Aquila Glover: Tony Bell
Mrs Tamsin Donner/Mrs Margaret Reed: Elaine Donnelly
Luis/Charles Cady/George Donner/John Snyder: Emilio Doorgasingh: Patty Reed/Frances Donner: Nicola Harrison
Phillipine Keiserberg/Peggy Breen: Caroline Lennon
James Reed/Salvador/Reason 'Dan' Tucker/ 'Le Fros' Fallon: Dominic Letts
William Eddy/William Pike/Little Jimmy Reed/Tommy Reed: Stephen Lucas
Lewis Keiserberg: Jonathan Melia
Charles Stanton/Patrick Breen/Charles Stone: Chris Porter

Director: Giles Croft
Designer: Jamie Vartan
Sound/Composer/Musical Director: John Morton

2004-06-10 14:20:10