Skip to main content

Review of Moby Dick at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Moby Dick is a story that most people asked would say they have heard of. Less would perhaps be able to give a detailed account of the tale it tells. Even less so, it seems, would be able to claim they have actually read the sprawling 700-plus-page novel. Herman Melville's novel you see seems to be highly regarded, but now, slowly but surely becoming less read in these short-attention-spanned days. So, what can a neatly brief two-hour production from Simple8 in association with Royal & Derngate do for the epic novel?

First of all, a brief synopsis to get us going. Moby Dick tells the story of Ishmael, a young sailor who joins the whaling ship Pequod, captained by the mysterious Ahab. Captain Ahab is a driven man, seeking revenge on the white whale of the title, who rudely took his leg away in a previous encounter. During the tale, we meet a likable assortment of characters, and the impressive ensemble of nine performers brings them delightfully to life to tell this tale.

Our narrator, as in the book is Ishmael, and like the book, the opening line, "Call me Ishmael", begins the play. As Ishmael, Mark Arends is instantly likable and personable, bringing us into his, what becomes, a desperate and sad tale. Early on in his tale, he meets jobbing harpooner Queequeg after ending up sharing a bed with him at the best inn he can afford. Queequeg is played beautifully by Tom Swale, and their relationship becomes one of the highlights of the production.

Elsewhere the ensemble remains strong, with Hannah Emanuel a brisk, authoritative chief mate, Starbuck, trying her very best for the crew while trying to still placate the desperate for-revenge captain. As Captain Ahab, Guy Rhys has the drive and desperation needed for the crazed man in pursuit of revenge. All of the cast are very strong it has to be admitted, it is an excellently performed play, no question.

Jesse Jones directs with his characteristic energy, getting the very best from his performers, and the brilliantly simplistic set from Kate Bunce effectively provides via scaffolding and planks the world of Moby Dick and the Pequod. Elsewhere, there is some beautiful lighting from Johanna Town, so much so, that I made a mental note in my head within five minutes of the start to mention this.

So, why, at times, with all this praise, does Moby Dick slightly disappoint. A question I asked myself on a few occasions before writing this up. The best I can think of is that while it tells a good story, it is all rather gentle. It is so, so gentle at times, that I cannot help but think this is the very intent of the production. There simply is so little high drama or danger as the crew of the Pequod battle the high seas amid tornados and whales bent on plummeting the very souls of the men to the sea bed.

Maybe it is the friendliness of the sea shanties and the thought of those delightful Fisherman's Friends that have re-popularised them for a modern audience again that makes it all feel just so friendly and safe.

Either way, danger does not permeate this production in perhaps the way some might expect of the epic tale of Moby Dick. This doesn't leave it a bad show however, I have to admit, I still really enjoyed it at times, but, no question, I left thinking, that the drama part was just a bit of a damp squid (I make no apology for that...).

Entertaining and excellently performed, but lacking in the high drama and danger that might be expected.


Performance reviewed: Wednesday 10th April 2024 at the Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton.

Moby Dick is on stage at Royal & Derngate until Saturday 13th April 2024 before touring.

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

Photos: Manuel Harlan


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...