| |
Theatre listings >
Theatre Index >>
To The Moon
- World Premiere.
This production's director is an 2004 winner of The Arches Award for Stage
Directors.
Deviser, Dramaturg & Director - Dale Heinen.
Text - Created by the company.
Designer - Penelope Challen.
Lighting Designer - George Tarbuck.
Composer & Sound Designer - Daniel Williams.
Directing Mentor - Andrew McKinnon.
Puppet Advisor - Jan Zalud.
Puppet Choreographer & Advisor - Billy Beattie.
Tango Choreography - John and Sara Patterson.
Cast - here .
Venue -The Arches www.thearches.co.uk
253 Argyll St Glasgow 0141 565 1023
Dates - 6 - 10 April at 7 pm.
Run Time - I hours 20 mins with no Interval.
Reviewer - Thelma Good.
Wonder despite slight doldrums .
It begins with a moving light taking us into a world where villagers
set sail to gather moon milk. It's a miraculous liquid and the pursuit
of it can unhinge you or even leave you stranded on the moon.
On board the craft we follow are the Captain, the capable and entrancing
Julie Brown, the Child played by the Western Isles accented Vivienne
de Caris, the Passenger, Alistair Edwards, given to quirky
quasi-scientific definitions and the Deaf One (who is also mute) atmospherically
played by Liam Hurley. The production is filled with moments of
surprise and wonder using puppets of the characters, scenes lit by held
torches and a simply suggested ship created by two wood planking low trolleys.
It's all concieved to make the most of the designated Arches' Theatre
space with its wall with the actable raised stage at the back. The set's
gauze backdrop and floor are painted to suggest both ocean and the heavens
and respond in harmony with George Tarbuck's striking lighting. Throughout
composer Daniel Williams (CD of the composition availble after the performances)
increases the spell binding qualities of this production.
The inspiration of Italo Calvino's The Distance To The Moon has
resulted in a production which holds us in its dreamlike quality, occasionally
it gets stuck in the doldrums of the yarn but it retrims itself soon enough
keeping the audience on board. I warmly support this scheme of the Arches
to encourage emerging directors (the Arches seem to have drop the word
new this year) but with its mix of local talents and highly experienced
production team this example of a Arches Award for Directors raise some
questions as well as largely satisfying its audience.
The Questions are
What is an emerging director in the terms of this award? Dale Heinen,
though unknown to us in Scotland has had two sucessful productions in
the fringe theatres in London and was co-artistic director of a theatre
company in one of the US's main theatre cities, Chicago. There she directed
plays which were mid-west premieres and one of her productions was nominated
for a Jeff award. I don't doubt her ability but I do wonder if this is
the only example of her work we will see in Scotland I hope not.
Did this production whose creative team used several established theatre
practioners recieve equal funding to the other winner this year a local
director Kirstin McLean?
© Thelma Good 6 April 2004. - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
Cast: The Captain - Julie Brown, The Child -
Vivienne de Caris, The Passenger - Alistair Edwards and The Deaf One -
Liam Hurley.
Review of the other 2004 Arches Award Winner - A
Secret Room.
Theatre Editor, Thelma Good's e-mail is
thelma@edinburghguide.com
Although every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the
information presented in these pages, no responsibility can be accepted
for any errors or omissions.
Theatre listings >
Theatre Index >>
|
|
