THEATRE REVIEWS

Imagine a crowd of church inspired people making their way to Canterbury, having to stop over night and amuse themselves and you have the plot of this tale by Geoffrey Chaucer. Put it in the hands of Northern Broadsides and you know that you are in for something special. It may not always be to your liking, but it will be special. And so it was at the Stephen Joseph theatre, Scarborough when this band of players stopped to tell their tales. Writer Mike Poulton has fun and games with the players as they go through their paces at the expense of the audience who lap it up in their own ways.

A nice travelling set was deposited on stage overnight for this performance as the sixteen actors decamped and told their stories as the original twenty nine. The tales flowed seamlessly and flawlessly with morals being thrown to the wind as each storyteller made his points known by whatever means open to them. What a merry evening it was as the audience sometimes feigned being shocked and at others was well ahead of the plots and capers. Spread about the stage were musical instruments of a sadly modern vintage which were put to good use by their accomplished players to make music fitting to the times. Add to the fine singing voices of the cast, with one or two outstanding voices under the musical direction of Phil Corbitt and the evening can do nothing but go well.

All this has to be brought together and Conrad Nelson does this beautifully with his direction and musical score. The costumes have to be just right and Lis Evens does this so well and every one suits the wearer so well. Now there are a few things that you will not expect and one is the puppets under the able control of Lee Threadgold and the movement made smooth and integrated by Matthew Bugg. With so many fine actors all delivering their lines in pentameters and Old English it is somewhat harsh to mention anyone by name as they all were great.

Where will this travelling band go next? Scour your newspapers for news of Northern Broadsides and beat your way to the inn where they are playing. You will have a geat evening. © BA

“The Canterbury Tales” is at the Round, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough from the 19th March to the 24th of March, 2010. Box Office Telephone: 01723 370541. Ticket prices: Adults £9 - £20. Students £7. Duration 3 hours with a 20 minutes interval. The lift should be working at least 15 minutes before the curtain rises.