THE DEVOTED FRIEND. To 29 December.
Cardiff.
THE DEVOTED FRIEND
by Oscar Wilde adapted by Phil Clark.
Sherman Theatre (Venue 2) To 29 December 2007.
Runs 1hr No interval.
Review: Timothy Ramsden 29 December.
An ideal theatre piece for its audience.
There are few shows as fine as this for 3-6s. Phil Clark’s superb Oscar Wilde adaptation makes it one of the few theatre pieces that grows out of young people’s experience of the world.
Clark sets the Sherman’s Venue 2 studio stage out as a triangle. Tina Reeves’ design gives each character a home at each apex. It soon emerges burly, assertive Nick could take over the whole space.
Associated with double-bass and trombone, he’s always ready with what he wants to say or do, while wiry clarinet-player Gareth seems ready to give way. Llinos, with her harp, is the true friend who can gently say uncomfortable things.
By the time she does, the three have acted out Wilde’s morality about gardener Hans who lets himself be exploited by Hugh the Miller. It’s a story built through varied repetition of a simple idea: Hugh takes Hans’ flowers, materials and labour while thinking himself generous because of a poor, never-implemented offer in return.
It’s after this, at Llinos’s prompting, Nick realises he didn’t enjoy the way Hugh treated Hans, and comes from under Nick’s shadow. But Nick, like the miller, hadn’t considered his bullying behaviour.
These are experiences recognisable to all youngsters moving into a larger social world. And they’re carefully introduced, following a gentle introduction to the space, as actors greet and guide audience members to seats, give each block directions in case of leaving during the show, then move from being ushers to their “own” characters, each searching for their own corner, and interacting as children (but with no silly “acting a child”) and setting-up the relationship between “Nick” and “Gareth”.
It’s then a seamless move, with the young watchers comfortable in the space, to Wilde’s story, as Ceri James’ lighting changes to a swirl suggesting the windmill that’s to take a role in the story. After it’s over the lighting brightens for the modern resolution (at no point, with this age, is there a blackout).
Skilfully paced, performed with apt calm, inventively staged ( clarinet neatly doubling as seed planter), with audience involvement in singing thoroughly prepared, it is outstanding.
Nick/Hugh: Nick Wayland Evans.
Gareth/Hans: Gareth Wyn Griffiths.
Llinos/Friend: Llinos Mai.
Director: Phil Clark.
Designer: Tina Reeves.
Lighting: Ceri James.
Composer/Musical Director: Lucy Rivers.
Puuppetry supervisor: Chris Pirie.
2008-01-01 19:38:35