THEATRE | Previews & Reviews R E N N A T E V E T S
ADAPTION REBECCA King’s Theatre, Glasgow, until Sat 7 Nov. Reviewed at King’s Theatre, Edinburgh. ●●●●●
Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca is renowned as a classic thriller of love and jealousy. But Kneehigh’s treatment of it in this touring show gives it a light, almost camp touch. It’s a fun, frolicky evening but might disappoint fans of the book’s darker side.
The new Mrs De Winter (here played by a delightful Imogen Sage) arrives at Manderlay with her husband, Maxim (Tristan Sturrock), to an odd welcome. The ghost of the first Mrs De Winter – Rebecca – haunts the impressive house, and she becomes convinced that Maxim is still in love with her. In particular, she comes up against the formidable Mrs Danvers (Emily Raymond), who is obsessed with her former mistress Rebecca and will do anything to keep her memory alive.
The chemistry between Sage and Sturrock is just right, her jealousy and his fits of anger keeping the audience sufficiently on edge. It’s wonderfully atmospheric too: Leslie Travers’ design is impressive, filling the stage and inviting the audience into the heart of Manderlay and the forbidding sea at which Rebecca met her death.
Emma Rice’s slick direction means the evening skips along – perhaps a little too quickly. It doesn’t linger on the darker heart of the story, and feels a lot less like a thriller than, say, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film adaptation.
But Rice’s adaptation is certainly an entertaining night out, one that gives Du Maurier’s story a good shake and an entertaining angle. (Yasmin Sulaiman)
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MUSICAL PLAY THE CHOIR Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, until Sat Nov 14 ●●●●●
Choirs seem to be having something of a moment, with recent successes Glee and Gareth Malone’s The Naked Choir. Now playwright Paul Higgins, known to many for his acting role in TV satire The Thick Of It, has collaborated with Deacon Blue singer Ricky Ross, to create this drama about a community choir in Wishaw. In spite of a slow start, it’s best when dealing in
simmering political tensions. All the good work done by affable choir leader Khalid (Peter Polycarpou) is undermined when quick-tempered working-class kid Scott (Scott Reid) debuts his clumsy rap about zero-hour contracts, to the obvious discomfort of Conservative, older couple Jean (Anne Kidd) and George (James Quinn). Debates about social mobility are blown open, and relationships, like that of mismatched Charlotte (Jess Murphy) and Darren (Sandy Nelson), falter. Dominic Hill’s direction is engaging, though issues
are often shoe-horned into a slightly cliched script. Ross’ derivative, mawkish songs like ‘Most Of Me’ and ‘Everybody’s Singing Now’ do little to make it feel contemporary. But the sense of belonging, and gorgeous harmonies throughout, make for an energetic, if uneven, production. (Lorna Irvine)
116 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016
MUSICAL THEATRE MACK AND MABEL Edinburgh Playhouse, Tue 10–Sat 21 Nov VINTAGE POLITICAL THEATRE AN INSPECTOR CALLS Theatre Royal, Glasgow, until Sat 7 Nov
Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman’s musical is a tale of romance, women tied to railway tracks, clean-cut heroes and moustache twirling villains. Based on real-life characters, Mack Sennett (played by Michael Ball) is a director of silent comedies and Mabel Normand (Rebecca LaChance) a rising star. As Hollywood makes films that would define an era, Mack and Mabel follow a personal dream. LaChance finds it easy to account for the
musical’s success. ‘It has a little bit of everything,’ she explains. ‘Slapstick comedy, romance, huge dance numbers, an incredible Jerry Herman score, and a touching ending. We hope we have folks walking out having taken a whole journey with us.’ Despite the magic, there is a serious undercurrent
beneath the glamour. ‘Mabel paved the way to equal opportunities for women in the film world,’ says LaChance. She promises fun, too: ‘We’ve been lucky to have had an amazing audience response since our start in Chichester. You have fans of Michael, but the exciting part is that they love everything else about it. There’s nothing more rewarding than a huge roll of laughter or the cheers during curtain call.’ (Gareth K Vile)
The recent BBC adaptation of JB Priestley’s most famous play was a reminder that his unflinching analysis of capitalism’s immoral foundations remains relevant even 70 years after its premiere. Written after the Second World War, but set in the aftermath of the First, it exposes the hypocrisy of a bourgeois family, when a mysterious police officer arrives to report the death of a working class woman. The power of Priestley’s fable lies in the harsh
condemnation of the values of the ruling classes. Directed by Stephen Daldry (who has been nominated for Academy Awards for his films Billy Elliot and The Hours) and starring Liam Brennan as the titular inspector, this National Theatre production is a timely revival at a time when the selfishness of the British establishment is, once again, a hot political topic.
Despite the polemical theme, the slow unfolding of the plot, and the relentless deconstruction of the family’s self-righteousness, Priestley combines the inevitability of tragedy with a supernatural atmosphere, as the identity of the inspector is surrounded by mystery. Add in a structure that seems deliberately to mock the ‘well-made play’ murder thriller, and An Inspector Calls earns its place as a 20th-century classic. (Gareth K Vile)