Skip to main content

Review of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

With the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and all the other camps of the Second World War barely a month ago. The tale of a young boy meeting and befriending a young Jewish boy being held in one such camp is as relevant as could be. Not that this tale should never not be relevant, because as it the play confirms itself, it should always be held up as a warning to prevent such a terrible event happening again.

The play adapted by Angus Jackson from the book by John Boyne and is presented as a "fable", and this is perhaps the only clumsy element of the production. Little is served by purporting it as this and the second ending to wrap up the "fable" feels an unnecessary element, whereas the more powerful ending would have had greater impact on the departing audience. The structure is very episodic, even including titles for these episodes projected upon the large ominous wall at the back of the stage. This structure is not a bad thing however as it keeps the path of the story clear on the simplistic set, and keeps a pacy movement to the piece.


The revolving stage and swift movement of various items of furniture move us with ease from the family home, and to Out-With, and into the countryside around the camp and director Joe Murphy and set designer Robert Innes Hopkins are to be commended on this. The journey from Bruno's bedroom to the camp fence is also a spectacular scene which is superbly choreographed.


The cast are generally excellent but this Children's Touring Partnership show hinges on the two young stars in the leads. As Bruno, Cameron Duncan on the evening I saw (there are three actors for each of the two lead roles on the tour) was a stunningly confident performer. On stage for much of the play, his timing for his knowing jokes aimed at his family and adults is exemplary, as well as his naive innocence in his conversations with Shmuel which is lovingly played. As Shmuel on the evening played by Sam Peterson is also an equally excellent performer in his sad and persecuted role. Both young stars are near faultless throughout their challenging and hefty roles.


This production presents  a tough subject in an interesting way. From its clever use of the revolving stage, to the excellent projection at the back, and through to the quality cast, it presents an evening to once again be admired rather than enjoyed and comes well recommended.


««««

Performance reviewed: Tuesday 3rd March, 2015 at the Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton.

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas is on at the Royal & Derngate until Saturday 7th March, 2015, details here: 
http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whatson/2015-2016/Royal/TBITSP

The show is then touring until the 27th June, 2015. Details can be found at http://www.theboyinthestripedpyjamas.com/

For further details about the Royal & Derngate visit their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/

Popular posts from this blog

Review of & Juliet at Milton Keynes Theatre

First performed in 2019, & Juliet has become quite a global success, and now, as part of a UK Tour, it has arrived at Milton Keynes Theatre for a two-week run. Featuring a book by David West Read, it tells the what-if story of the survival of Juliet at the end of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet . Primarily a jukebox musical, it more specifically features the works of Swedish songwriter Max Martin (and friends, as the credits describe). The question is, does & Juliet provide more than the standard of many a jukebox musical before it, and does it honour the tragic tale from which it has sprung? Our story opens with William Shakespeare presenting his latest work, Romeo & Juliet , for the first time. However, when his wife, Anne Hathaway, learns how he intends the tale to end, she is away with his quill and planning on her reworking of the story. At the core of this touring production's success is Geraldine Sacdalan's powerhouse performance as Juliet. Her Juliet ...

Review of Northern Ballet - The Great Gatsby at Milton Keynes Theatre

This production of The Great Gatsby performed by Northern Ballet was my fifth encounter at the theatre of a full ballet production and as before, I happily share my review of the show with nearly zero knowledge of-the-art form and more of a casual theatre-goer. You could say that this is a poor direction to come in on a review, but I would say that casual audience are the ones to review this for. Over the years, Northern Ballet has set quite a high benchmark for ballet productions, and any audience member who is worth their salt as a ballet fan would no doubt have tickets for this new touring version of the 2013 version of The Great Gatsby , lovingly created by David Nixon OBE. So much is Nixon part of the very fabric of this show, that he not only provides the choreography and direction but also the initial scenario and costume design (assisted by Julie Anderson). So, discounting those ballet fans already sitting in the audience, what does this offer for the more casual theatre-goer ...

Review of The Rocky Horror Show at Milton Keynes Theatre

Richard O’Brien’s anarchic, surreal, and often incomprehensible musical, The Rocky Horror Show , has captivated audiences for over fifty years now. With this new tour, it feels as fresh and unpredictable as if it had just emerged from O’Brien's vivid imagination yesterday. While another review might seem unnecessary given the countless dressed-up fans who fill every theatre it visits, let’s go ahead and write one anyway. The Rocky Horror Show follows the adventures of Brad and Janet, a newly engaged couple. On a dark and stormy November evening, they run into car trouble and seek refuge at a mysterious castle reminiscent of Frankenstein’s. There, they encounter the eccentric handyman Riff-Raff, the outrageous scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter, and a host of other bizarre characters. What unfolds is a science fiction B-movie narrative that is at times coherent and at other times bewildering — yet somehow, that doesn’t seem to matter. I first saw The Rocky Horror Show in 2019 and exper...