“In the lands of the North where the black rocks stand guard against the cold sea, in the dark night that is very long, the men of the Northlands sit by their great log fire and they tell a tale…” Peter Firmin looked at the 12th-century Lewis Chessmen in the British Museum, and saw Nogs:…
Giant snores reverberate across Westacre Theatre’s wide stage as we settle down for Andy Naylor’s bespoke adaptation of The Selfish Giant, Oscar Wilde’s heartfelt fairytale about selfishness, loneliness and love. Through a translucent screen showing a projection of the Giant’s castle, we can just catch tantalising glimpses of his beautiful garden beyond as the story…
The Fisher Theatre has developed an enviable reputation over the last few years for putting on an excellent pantomime at Christmas, and I’ve seen tired London theatregoers light up when describing brilliance found in Bungay, but until now all that has been the work of visiting professional theatre companies. This year, building on the strength…
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is a children’s novel, rather than a play: accordingly, the Maddermarket’s Christmas staging, using an adaptation of Joan Aiken’s book by Russ Tunney, keeps our mind firmly on the physicality of the original book, with a huge open volume taking centre stage at all times. Some characters literally emerge from…
“On a small island, in the middle of the sea, a man meets a big bird…” Much Ado About Puffin tells a beguiling story of an unlikely, exciting friendship in a deliciously analogue world. A weatherbeaten seafaring man lives alone in a tiny cottage perched high on a steep cliff, with just his Roberts radio…
It all started with a tweet: in October 2011, Genevieve Raghu realised she had just missed Patrick Hawes’ concert in Norwich the previous week, and tweeted the composer to ask how it had gone. Their subsequent conversation led to a meeting, which led to a sharing of ideas, and six years later Raghu and Hawes…
Directed by John Fulljames, The Firework-Maker’s Daughter is a gently exotic and quietly magical act of storytelling, with a strong female hero, a vibrant score with strong, tuneful melodies from David Bruce played with relish by the CHROMA Ensemble, and plenty of visual interest contributed by skilful shadow puppetry from Indefinite Articles. Shapes and outlines inspired…
The Fisherman and his Wife is a nicely conceived opera for children. Eralys Fernandez’s score confidently paints a range of moods and emotions in a cheerful piano accompaniment played for us by the composer, encompassing rowdy exchanges verging on Punch & Judy, little lyrical arias (the Fisherman’s “Almighty God of the Sea” a particular highlight),…