The Chichester Festival Theatre's 2018 production of David Walliams' 'The Midnight Gang' is now available on their website for the next fortnight.
I have to admit that sitting down yesterday to watch this, I was less than inspired, bored even, and was ready to turn it off... this was just another run-of-the-mill, average children's story that theatres churn out in the hope to attract families... just another average Walliams' novel, out of the many that he has thus far penned. How wrong I was, and how very glad I am that I stuck it out. Yes, the start was slow and uninspiring, with a long exposition and an unnecessary song involving a novice doctor who belonged more to the 'Carry On' genre than a children's story; but it did get better, it did get MUCH better.
Walliams' book had been adapted for the stage by Bryony Lavery, directed by Dale Rooks, and was full of original songs composed by Joe Stilgoe. The main thread of the story being that a young boy had been brought into the A+E of a failing, run-down, London hospital from an exclusive all-boys boarding school after sustaining a large lump to his head. After being admitted to the children's ward he makes friends with those other children in beds surounding his and eventually, through his own persistence, joins 'The Midnight Gang'; a group of children who contrive to wander and explore the hospital at midnight enacting their dreams. Of course they have to dodge the ward's matron, who, incidentally utterly hates children, and there's also a weird and lurch-like porter too. Of course they get up to various antics, not least of which involves a naked 90-year old lady flying over the night skies of London attached to a bunch of balloons!
There are lots of lovely heartwarming touches to this production, and some brilliant morals for the younger generation to take away with them. As the porter says, "Sometimes people think you are strange because you look strange", we learn that we shouldn't 'judge a book by it's cover'; and as we learn about the power of holding on to your dreams and helping others, the second act is brought to a beautiful heartening and uplifting conclusion.
Act two in general is much more solid and entertaining, and also has the two best songs in the show: the fun duet between the headmaster and the matron 'The Punishment Will Be Severe', and the sweet rendition of 'A Big Beautiful Life' by Sally, a young girl in hospital being treated for, we assume, cancer, and played here with much sympathy and understanding by Cerys Hill.
The stage, designed by Simon Higlett worked very well, creating different floors of the hospital by the clever use of a 'lift', and the lighting was creative but never over-used. Lucy Vandi, as Tootsie, made a lovely character of the 'dinner lady' and commanded the stage on her every entrance brightening and lightening the atmosphere. The young protagonist Tom was played excellently by Cody Molko, working well with all the others on stage, both children and adults. However it was the Fagin-esque Dicken Gough who won me over with his very real and fully-rounded characterisation of the hugely likeable Porter.
I think perhaps the start of the show needs looking at if it were to be produced again, but all told this was a magical and wondrous children's adventure story that I am very glad I was party to.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 30/4/20
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