SMASHED EGGS. To 23 October.

Northamptonshire

SMASHED EGGS
by Phil Porter

Royal Theatre Northampton To 2 October then tour to 23 October 2004
Mon-Thu 1.30pm Thu-Sat 7pm Mat Sat 2.30pm
Runs 1hr 50min One interval

TICKETS: 01604 624811
www.royalandderngate.com
Review: Timothy Ramsden 28 September

Not all broken eggs turn into omelettes.Can this play,originallyt produced by West Midlands company Pentabus, really be the mashed-up mess it seems in this production? Aimed at 7-11s, it sets out wanting to be liked and shows itself patronising and semi-intelligible; the 200 or so young people at the same performance as me (and who behaved impeccably before and afterwards goodness knows how the rougher end of the market would respond) evinced restlessness and required multiple adult shushing from their supervisors.

How has this happened? The actors make a good enough fist of a bad job. The story itself follows a sound traditional structure. An unhappy, restrictive home, children breaking free and confronting fears, resolution and better times ahead back home with newly-aware adult.

Despite her name, Angela stands in for wicked step-mum. Titus is actually her son and it's Miranda the cause of whose presence is unclear who rebels against a regime based not on malice but Angela's puritanical urge to follow the rules. Rules are written (with a lamentable lapse in use of the apostrophe) all round the room. Breakfast consists entirely peas; forming them imaginatively into shapes is forbidden.

The seemingly solid walls give way to a skeletal forest where the children break free and confront a nightmare figure that's the play's most successful aspect. Rescue comes with a reformed Angela, and the trio end up clinging worthily to each other in a heap on the stage.

Titus and Miranda's initially hostile relationship is played out at a superficial level, so it has no foundation for development later. Angela comes over as one-dimensional so unsurprisingly has no depth. Who cares what happens when these three cyphers come together?

Things overall are relentlessly schematic. The pet, called simply Animal', recovers its bright eyes and scab-free fur when he escapes Angela's regime. On the other hand (so to speak) he fulfils her prediction that eating fish will make you fishlike as he develops lobster claws in place of paws. Strange, as all Angela's fear-factor warnings otherwise are part of the negativity the play discards. Overall, a deep disappointment, and impossible to recommend.

Miranda: Beverley Denim
Titus: Craig Painting
Angela: Maggie O' Brien

Director: Dani Parr
Designer/Costume: Kate Bunce

2004-09-29 11:32:18