Time And Again Theatre Company are a Manchester
group with a passion for interpreting history in new and relevant ways. It went
without saying that when tackling Shakespeare, their production was unlikely to
be in modern dress, but choosing a 1950’s seaside environment was certainly
outside of the box as was the venue, which was very fitting for the chosen
setting.
The 1950’s seaside feel was created
with period costumes, hairstyles, and an array of beach paraphernalia such as a
sun shield, beach umbrella, deck chairs and postcard stand. A regular supply of '50’s music completed the atmosphere. The cast were spoilt for choice with
performance areas and entrances enabling a lot of movement in true
Shakespearian style. The swimming pool admirably suited the setting, the only
real suspension of disbelief being the obvious absence of water but then, you
can’t have everything!
It was nice to see that whilst the 1950s setting had been meticulously set up, the acting style, delivery and
movements were essentially Shakespearian with no attempt made to ‘update’ the
text. This was a genuine Shakespeare production as opposed to an adaptation
with the only effective change being some same-sex relationships. This did not
work too well because having gone to great lengths to create an authentic '50’s look,
openly gay relationships looked clearly out of sync with the period but
otherwise everything else was fine.
The large cast of fourteen performed
as a well-balance ensemble, energetically taking full advantage of the venue
with the show including dance routines and rousing songs, including playing
ukulele and even an a-capella version of ‘Unchained Melody’. With so many strong
characters, it was hard to pick stand out performances. Laura Crow was charismatic as Benedick, Leah
Taylor an impish Borachio, and Jessica Ayes a stylish Dona Joan. Sammy Wells and
Catherine Cowdrey were amusing as Margaret and Leonato and Kieran Palmer a
sturdy Don Pedro. Whether intentionally or otherwise, Peter Brassington as
Verges and Tim Copper as Dogberry looked remarkably like the two Ronnies (right
down to the flat cap) and were an excellent double act. Keziah Lockwood as
Imogen gave a good character performance as did Adam Martin Brooks as Claudio.
Megan Ralph, Kendal Boardman, Hassan Javed and Megan Crossland all deserve
mention for their performances. This was a true ensemble cast who gave a
spirited team performance.
Victoria
Baths is a gem of Victorian architecture and one of Manchester’s best up-and-coming visitor attractions. With audience seated inside the pool area, the slope
towards the deep end providing natural raking of the seats facing an imposing
stage area which Time And Again used to the full. The area about the deep end
provided a generous performance area, with a very theatrical backdrop of three
great marble arches. There was also a large performance space at audience level
(with access to the main stage by pool ladders; what else?). Side entrances led
directly up the ornate spectator gallery, enabling the play to be performed on
three levels with multiple entrances. The only serious drawback with the venue
was the terrible acoustics, making it often hard to hear dialogue, through no
fault of any of the cast. It was a pity the cast had not been mic'd up, purely
to compensate for the venue.
Time And Again certainly breathed new life into one of Shakespeare’s most famous
comedies. The setting was used to full advantage and vibrant, colourful period
costumes gave a true taste of Shakespeare for a modern audience; a fine and
enjoyable production.
Reviewer - John Waterhouse
on - 7.7.22
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