The Critics: Yeomen of the Guard, The Glass Menagerie
Yeomen of the Guard
Younger Hall: 25-27 February
Before I enter into this review, I must nail my standard to the mast and admit, of my own volition, that I am not a fan of Gilbert and Sullivan. I find it outdated, melodramatic and nostalgic Victoriana, and as such went to see this show with a great deal of trepidation. However, after the performance of Yeomen of the Guard in Younger Hall I may have to rethink my opinions.
Firstly – and here I have been reliably informed by several G&S aficionados – Yeomen is not a typical G&S show, and I found that to be no bad thing. The plot is just as convoluted at points as other G&S operettas, which necessitated the use of the programme at times just so I knew what was going on. However, the staging, production values, acting and music was of such a high standard that I couldn’t help but enjoy and appreciate the show.The cast in general all acted beautifully for their parts, and sounded fantastic.
Performances to single out in particular were Emma Rettie’s conniving and comedic Phoebe, Stephen McKelvie’s Jack Point – both hilariously entertaining and depressingly tragic, leaving this reviewer close to tears by the finale – and Kathryn Noonan’s Elsie Maynard, a role which allowed Miss Noonan’s acting ability and voice to really shine. These performances were accompanied by some of the finest orchestra playing I’ve heard yet in St Andrews, and Jethro Dowell must be proud for having assembled such an accomplished team of musicians for this project.
Overall, I have to applaud Katie Bradley and the production team in general for creating such a fine show to entertain such a musical philistine as myself.
James Wellerstein
The Glass Menagerie
The Byre: 11-12 March
They sold out a week before the first performance; they had to put in an additional matinee to supply demand; and the Principal came to their drinks reception. After all this, excitement expectations were high for The Glass Menagerie, and I doubt that anyone was disappointed.
The play introduces us to a family in Southern America who have been deserted by their man and so a restless brother, crippled sister and over-compensating mother are left to fend for themselves. All their hopes and dreams come to rest on the idea of young Laura getting married, and supporting them financially so that Tom can leave home. Yet in the final scenes a gentleman caller comes, sweeps the family off their feet and brings Laura out of her shell only to smash it, when he announces he is engaged.
The play opens with Tom, also narrator of the tale, saying that this is a memory and as such is not naturalistic; that fiddles will play when there are none there, that things are fuzzy round the edges. The production truly captured his words, light and sound adapting the scene in unexpected ways, dramatising without distraction from the real emotion on display.
Light imagery is highly significant in Tennessee Williams, with linguistic references throughout to rainbow coloured light. So the production required a complex lighting plan to match the drama’s complexity and did so beautifully; red in rage, blue in sorrow, bright for the mundane, dim in complexity. Symbolically in set, lighting, sound and direction the production matched the performance in talent; beautifully refined. It was these elements which rendered the performance so sophisticated. The team and play were chosen to pioneer the Mermaids Production Workshop, which enabled them to work alongside Byre professionals and learn how specialists work in theatre, which I’m sure contributed to the unblemished performance. However credit must ultimately go to director, Priya Kvam, and Production Manager, Meg Platt for their meticulous care and hard-work, evident throughout.
A rainbow spectrum of talent, ability and emotion were needed to complete such a production and in The Glass Menagerie I found a theatrical pot of gold.
Emily Hill
