Review of The Wellspring at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

The Wellspring is a truly unique theatre experience, an autobiographical journey through the life of pianist David Owen Norris and his son, playwright, Barney Norris and their relationship as father and son. It is a very personal experience for the two, but it draws the audience into their lives.

The Wellspring is beautiful and heartwarming, even, oddly, when Barney describes being beaten up and kicked in the head in Oxford. This is the pair's life experiences, the highs and the lows, perhaps as his father remarks at one point, more lows described by Barney.

Not that David’s story is bereft of low points, but he offers more joy from his life, sometimes extremely comically. Perhaps the best is his brilliant recalling of the Sydney Piano competition, partly broadcast live on the radio. It is a hugely funny story and allows David to show his immense piano skills for which he’s known, and through this piece, he peppers the show with some wonderfully performed music.

The father and son teamwork extremely well together on stage, playing off one another perfectly. They, and director Jude Christian, have clearly created the show with great care, as little nuances of reactions and understanding show throughout, often as one watches the other, little magical moments appear.

David, perhaps a surprise, is the more sprightly on stage, travelling a great deal throughout the show, busy while telling his tales. Barney is much more considered and less active, often delivering from a fixed point. It is a nice playoff of character and feels that despite being family, they are their own men.

What is a delight from this production is the home videos that are shown throughout, projected to one side of the stage. This, coupled with some clever video design from Megan Lucas, incorporating compasses designating our current place in the world in the tale, is a delightful bonus.

One criticism I would level at the production is the slightly curious decision to not lower the house lights at any point. I understand why these are on for the opening as Barney addresses the audience directly. However, leaving them fully on for the rest of the show was a distraction, and from my position in row J, left the excellent projection washed out a little. It also didn’t allow Jack Weir’s simple but excellent lighting to have quite the same impact.

For those local to the areas featured, particularly Northamptonshire, there are some lovely little references to the town that locals will pick up. It was great to hear a story recalling Woolworths for instance, and personally, the mention of Borough Hill and its radio masts. Masts which my father created replacement parts for as a toolmaker. It is lovely little moments that make this a very personal piece to the audience beyond that of David and Barney themselves.

As the show plans to tour, some of the content may not work in different areas, however, what will, is the charm and love in the show. It is simply staged, but lovingly performed and just feels a delight and a very special, different piece of theatre.

A heartwarming beautifully performed and created production.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Performance reviewed: Thursday 24th March 2022 at the Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton.

The Wellspring runs at Royal & Derngate until Saturday 26th March 2022.

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

The Wellspring is A ROYAL & DERNGATE MADE IN NORTHAMPTON PRODUCTION

Production photos: Robert Day

Review of Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

It is a truth universally acknowledged... No Stop! That is too obvious an opening line to a review of any Pride & Prejudice . Let us begin anew... Of all the classic regency novels from the 19th century, perhaps, one of the most famous is that of P ride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. The novel of manners telling the story of the Elizabeth Bennet her development and her family is maybe more famous now for the many adaptations the novel itself has had, including a certain wet-shirted Colin Firth edition from the nineties. Due to this, it is ripe for many a reworking and with a guaranteed audience waiting for it. Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is one of the more bold of those adaptations. However, for all its boldness, does this new version work, or in truth, is it one step too far? The answer is a clear yes, as this dynamic and brilliant reworking by writer and director Isobel McArthur has proven since first taking to the stage back in 2018 and now into this second UK tour, reachin...

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...

Review of Cinderella, performed by University Of Northampton BA Actors at Maidwell Hall (Avenue Campus), Northampton

So, this is a bit different, the third year actors (my fifth group of them!) do panto, Cinderella to be precise. Pantomime is my perennial favourite bit of theatre. Oh no, it isn't! However, I have long acknowledged that for an actor, the form is both incredibly important, because if you can entertain kids, you can probably do anything, it also provides a large opening for a regular gig each year as they are so abundant. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the intelligent bods teaching these students have come to the decision to create a little panto action of their own. This first of three (and the other two are very different beasts, as you will learn from the next reviews) is the ever so traditional one. Formed partly from the work of Looking Glass Theatre and director James Smith, I first saw much of this piece in January 2015, and although I didn't remember a great deal of it after this time, the cheese song managed to flash back to me, perhaps, sadly. So, ...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

Search This Blog