THEATRE REVIEW: Around The World In 80 Days - Theatre By The Lake, Keswick.

I have seen countless versions of this story over the years from faithful adventure stories, through comedies, and Musicals, to even seeing a pantomime version of it once upon a time! That's the beauty of this story by Jules Verne; it is so adaptable and so appealing that the story might be said to be an evergreen. And alongside at least two film adaptations, this family story has all anyone could wish for within its perimeter: love, romance, daring, adventure, daring escapades, travel, exotic locations, police chases, drama, derring-do, and of course a spiffing good old British happy ending too...!

The one thing which does impede any production of this story however, is the era in which it is set. The further away from the time period of the narrative we move, the less believable and relatable it becomes to the younger generations of theatregoers; and some productions have tried to bridge this gap by bringing the story more up-to-date, which in this reviewer's humble opinion, has been those productions' downfall. Thankfully, Laura Easton's script as produced by both Theatre By The Lake and Hull Truck, made no such concession.

Theatre By The Lake in Keswick is a most welcoming and intimate theatre - I still remember the 'bad old days' of the Blue Box Theatre! - and their main auditorium affords a good view of an open prosc. arch stage, which has a large circle of swirling browns, oranges and blues, (a large revolve used throughout), and nothing else. Larger set items were brought in and out as required swiftly and seamlessly, and the lighting and sound designs ably ameliorated the narrative complementing each scene nicely. A large muslin map of the world came down from the ceiling for the majority of the show, however, it might have been preferable for the route to have been marked upon this map as they went along, as otherwise, it did seem somewhat superfluous.

This production, directed by Hal Chambers utilised just 8 actors / actresses, and it was a fully ensemble effort. Everyone, with the notable exception of Stefan Adegbode as Phileas Fogg, played more than one role, although once Inspector Fix (Dyfrig Moris), Passepartout (Miriam O'Brien), and Mrs. Aouda (Saba Shiraz) were introduced, they remained constant. The production used physical theatre, physical comedy, regimented choreography, puppetry, as well as songs, dances, and a little circus magic to bring about this excellently thought-through spectacle, which regularly broke the fourth wall, inviting the audience to be complicit and join in with their antics, without it ever reverting to trite pantomime.

Personally I felt a little that the comedy elements of the story tended to take precedence, and would have preferred a little more jeopardy and thrill of adventure, but subjectivity is not the name of the game, and this was a slick, clever (I loved the alternative ending sequence - no spoilers!), and precise performance which is bound to enthral both young and old as indeed this story has been doing for generations.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 4.3.23