THE BORROWERS. To 10 January.
Cardiff
THE BORROWERS
by Mary Norton adapted by Charles Way
Sherman Theatre To 10 January 2004
Mon 29 December-Tue 30, 2-3,10 January 1.30pm & 5.30pm
31 December 1.30pm
6-9 January 10am & 2pm
Audio-described 10 January 5.30pm
BSL Signed 10 January 1.30pm
Meet the Cast 2 January 5.30pm
Runs 2hr One interval
TICKETS: 029 2064 6900
Minicom 029 2064 6909
Review: Timothy Ramsden 27 December
A fantastically imaginative production of a strong adaptation: a show everyone interested in theatre should see.I enjoyed Charles Way's adaptation of The Borrowers when it was premiered at Wimbledon's Polka Theatre, and the revival at Manchester Library Theatre, which subsequently went on a long tour. But I have to say Phil Clark's new production, this year's large-scale Sherman Christmas show, is in another league even from Polka's work. It's sensational, a brilliant incorporation of highly theatrical style with moving, human-scale storytelling.
Human-scale' is a bit odd for this story, about the tiny Borrowers, perfect Edwardian families like the Clocks, who burrow away under domestic floorboards borrowing' whatever they need from the household above. Yet the Clocks (guess what piece of domestic furniture is by their entrance into the house above) are a model of family concern, with young Arietty wanting to roam as she grows older, while protective parents try to keep her safe at home.
On a forbidden mission she's discovered by the human son, home from India. He's a kind of big friendly giant to her, but their meeting leads to discovery by fierce housekeeper Mrs Driver, and attack on their home.
Sean Crowley makes the Clock household a place of rough assemblings rather than neatly arranged furnishing right for a place put together from what can be picked up above. When the Clocks go above they emerge in the human room as puppets. When a human peers down it's as a huge video image. Cleverly, normal-size objects above like a screwdriver emerge under the floorboards of Crowley's split-level set as giant, threatening intrusions.
The second half sees the Clocks as refugees looking for relatives they fear may be gone. Crowley's oversized foliage allows the human actors to appear diminutive it's so natural you have to think about the impact to realise these aren't real little people.
Throughout, music (a major contribution to the show) underscores the action, supporting, sometimes intensifying, mood with gentle understatement. When pianist Matthew Bailey dons a cloth cap to become the gypsy boy, the link of Borrower and Traveller as social outsider is made with quiet conviction. Lucy Rivers' Arietty heads a uniformly fine acting company, in an exceptional production.
Next Christmas, the Sherman leaps ahead in time to Roald Dahl's Danny, Champion of the World. For Christmas 2005, who knows? But could there be a better place than the young-person centred Sherman for J.K. Rowling's mega-famous young wizard to take to the stage? After all, a place with a Youth Theatre numbering over 200 members, plus another 150 clamouring to join, must know something special about work for young people.
Arietty: Lucy Rivers
Pod: Gareth Wyn Griffiths
Homily: Nia Davies
Boy: Oliver Wilson Dickson
Mrs Driver: Bethan Morgan
Crampfurt: Nick Wayland Evans
Spiller: Iwan Tudor
Gypsy Boy: Matthew Bailey
Director: Phil Clark
Designer: Sean Crowley
Lighting: Ceri James
Sound: Mike Beer
Musical Director: Paula Gardiner
2003-12-29 13:31:20