Days of Hope - till 19 June

Exeter

Northcott Theatre, Exeter
Northcott Community Company presents
DAYS OF HOPE
Book & Script by Renata Allen
Music & Lyrics by Howard Goodall

Runs to Saturday 19 June
Running time 2 hours 15 minutes with one interval

Review Hazel Brown Seen on 9 June 2004

Society and its values beautifully evoked by the company and the subject
This music theatre piece, set in the closing days of the Spanish Civil War, gets to the heart of what community means, both in terms of the story and the commitment and talent of this community theatre company. This is the group's second production and it certainly demonstrates the depth and variety of talent in and around Exeter.

The story revolves around the love affair and hasty marriage of Stanley, a member of the International Brigade, and Sofia, the daughter of a fisherman hasty only because, after the collapse of the Republican forces, they intend to flee back to England. Carlos, the returning wounded Republican fisherman is married to long suffering Maria. Teresa, their neice, is the daughter of the Nationalist grain merchant and has been promised in marriage to Pablo, her father's clerk with fascist sympathies. José, a hot-headed Republican who fought with Carlos, returns and is bent on revenge. Thus the battle lines are drawn, with all sides of the complicated political situation represented.

What follows is a touching story of individual loves and of a community in crisis, with accessible music and moving lyrics from Howard Goodall. The company reaches the height of its dramatic effect and achievements in the massed scenes and the choral singing is beautiful, effective and often moving. The many members of the company are well choreographed on the vast stage, but the intimate scenes are sometimes lost in the space, with the characters spaced too widely apart to achieve intimacy in their scenes of emotion and conflict. The back projections of photographs from the time are apposite and add to the overall effect of the story.

In all, this is a worthwhile production, which demonstrates the value of community and community theatre.

Hazel Brown

CAST
Carlos: Alan Boxer
José: Kieran Dunne
Maria: Ella Gallinski
Teresa: Jennifer Jackson
Stanley: Nigel Paul
Sofia: Marnie Pyne
Pablo: Mark Starr
Chorus and other characters: Amanda Armes, Jonathan Armes, Amy Beadel, Emily Brown, Marion Cabral, Pam Chown, Gill Cree,Christine Davey, Andrew Dean, Rowan Duxbury, Tim Fitzgerald, Nick Floyd, Gordon Frow, Gordon Halliday, Elysia Hayman-Finch, Christine Hardy, Cecil Hardy, Therese Jacobs, Tini Kay, Hazel Laugee, Alison Mitchell, Adam Montague, Steve Moore, Bill Murray, Karen Murray, Alan Ormandy, Leslie Osborne, John Palmer, Shaun Patchett, Clare Redwood, Derek Roberts, Roamy Terry, Sue Tong, John Watts

Director: Nick Stimson
Musical Director: Jimmy Jewell
Movement Director: Paula Crutchlow
Costume Design: Becky Hawkins
Set Design: Mike Reddaway
Lighting Design: James Hewlett
Sound Design: Andrew Gardiner
Projections: Chris Owen

2004-06-22 09:03:53