NIGHTS AT THE CIRCUS. To 15 April.

Tour

NIGHTS AT THE CIRCUS
by Angela Carrter adapted by Tom Morris and Emma Rice

A Bristol Old Vic and Lyric Hammersmith Co-Production
In association with Kneehigh Theatre
Tour to 15 April 2006
Review: Stewart McGill 20 March at Bristol Old Vic

Powerful and engaging.At what point does entertainment stop and the audience become voyeurs…? I pose the question because Nights At The Circus, adapted from Angela Carter’s novel is a piece of work that plunges the spectator into the underbelly of the Victorian circus, the magic and the wonder replaced by violence, sexual deviation and the plight of women in a society that I recall Mrs Thatcher hailing and crying for a return to Victorian values!

Of course the circus is a fine metaphor for life, always has been so banish thoughts of an evening of romance and nostalgia. Kneehigh, as always, create a unique response to the text and Emma Rice directs with a strong sense of narration and powerful imagery. Natalie Tena is Fevvers, the aerial artist with wings – was she born or was she hatched… like some of P.T. Barnum’s wonders of the world, we can’t quite believe in her being a bird woman but her mystery remains.

Under the guise of auguste make-up the clown. Ed Woodall is demonic and sadistic in his treatment of Amanda Lawrence’s moving Mignon. Clearly much of the novel has been removed, even so, this is quite a lengthy evening and may benefit from a swifter telling, It lacks the dynamic invention and drive of the company’s Tristan & Yseult, now on international tour and, at times, the submergence into the depths of the underworld prove vastly difficult.

This is a powerful, engaging and provoking work. I did not feel a total involvement with the characters or engrossed by the portrayal of the circus world. Despite some interesting images the aerial work is very limited and routine. With the development there's been of circus skills in theatre, this show could have taken the level much higher.

That said Nights At The Circus is a good piece of work, inventive and imaginative. I look forward to Kneehigh’s take on Cymbeline for the RSC’s Complete Works Festival.

Princess: Adjoa Andoh
Musician: Stu Barker
Walser: Gísli Örn Gardarsson
Lizzie: Carol Grose
Mignon: Amanda Lawrence
Fevvers: Natalie Tena
Colonel: Andy Williams
Clown: Ed Woodall.

Director: Emma Rice
Designers: Bill Mitchell, Vicki Mortimer
Lighting: Malcolm Rippeth
Sound: Greogry Clarke
Music: Stu Barker

2006-03-22 15:52:33