The Canterville Ghost. To 8 January.
Basingstoke
THE CANTERVILLE GHOST
by Oscar Wilde adapted by Shaun Prendergast
Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke to 8 January 2005 .
Performance times vary. Contact box Office for details.
Runs 2 hours: One Interval
TICKETS: 0870 770 1088
www.haymarket.org.uk
Review Mark Courtice: 30 December 2004
More romantic musical than Christmas show, this clever adaptation has real charm.Shaun Prendergast has cleverly transformed Oscar Wilde's satire on the collision between the old world and the new into a charming romance and a ghost story for Christmas.
It does occur fairly early on when we have had our first murder (a stabbing), have seen the hanged baby effect, and later sat in on a congregation of the spirits, that Basingstoke's Christmas show may leave something to be desired on the child-friendly front. This is reinforced by the fact that in Prendergast's adaptation three love stories sit at the centre of things, so there are a lot of soppy songs (often with nice tunes by Trevor Allan Davies) to sit through.
This show has to viewed by the lights of a full blown musical then; as such it feels a bit underdone. Not quite enough colour or spectacle, not enough costume changes, and nothing to send you humming into the night, unless you count 'The Holly and the Ivy'.
There is a lot to recommend though. Elroy Ashmore's set, with its huge perspective staircase suggestively hung with cobwebby gauze curtains is effectively stately home, and flexible with it, as well as providing space for Lorelei Lynn's choreography, which while it does not do anything very surprising, is neat and well danced.
The company all play instruments and sing well. They are all but un-miked so the singing (for which one felt much of the casting had been done) was natural and un- forced. The audience could hear in the back row as well (I went and asked them).
As actors they tend to reflect the uncertain tone of the whole enterprise. Are they to be the jolly Christmas show bunch, the satirists, or the musical company telling love stories? Lumsden makes the most of the comic manservant, and the speciality number, and on the distaff side Lesley McClymont makes Mrs Uney affecting as well as creepily threatening. Two splendid children make the most of proper parts and a song of their own.
Lord Canterville/Melmont/Quiver: Nick Lumley
Hiram B Otis: Geoff Abbott
Mirabelle Otis: Maria Rallings
Carstairs/Freddie Fortescue: Pieter Lawman
Sir Simon de Canterville/The Canterville Ghost: Trevor Allan Davies
Lady Eleanor/Virginia Otis: Joanna Heap
The Twins Lisa Berrystone, Samantha King, Harriet Stacey, Nick Brannam, Ben Grabham, Shiv Rabheru
Director: John Adams
Designer: Elroy Ashmore
Lighting: Simon Hutchings
Sound: John Greet
Composer/Musical Director: Trevor Allen Davies
Choregrapher: Lorelei Lynn
2005-01-05 19:39:05