Directed by Stephen Pike
Musical Direction by Nicholas GriffinQueanbeyan Players at The Q, Queanbeyan
June 7 to 22, 2013
Review by Len Power 7 June 2013
The planets must have been aligned
in some special way for Bob Carlton’s jukebox musical, ‘Return To the Forbidden
Planet’ to be the success it was when it opened in London’s West End in
1989. It’s hard to believe it won the
Olivier Award for Best New Musical for both 1989 and 1990, beating shows like
‘Miss Saigon’ and ‘Aspects of Love’.
It’s a jukebox musical based on
Shakespeare's ‘The Tempest’ and
the 1950s science fiction film ‘Forbidden
Planet’ (which in turn was based on ‘The Tempest’). The script uses quotes from various
Shakespeare plays to advance the story between songs. The songs are good ones ranging across forty
years or so of the rock and roll era.
Stephen
Pike, the director, has fashioned a production for the Queanbeyan Players that
almost overcomes the deficiencies of the script. On an excellent spaceship set designed by
Thompson Quan Wing and the customary brilliance of Eclipse Lighting and Sound,
the director keeps the show moving at a fast pace, keeping our minds off the script
as much as possible.
The cast
of excellent singers do more than justice to the songs. However, there is little consistency of style
in their delivery of the dialogue. Some
of the cast read the Shakespearean lines too fast with no attempt at understanding
what they’re saying. Others stood there
and declaimed in an old-fashioned Shakespearean way that was just boring. Dave Evans, who plays Captain Tempest, does
get it right. He understands what he’s
saying and plays with a touch of melodrama and a constant twinkle in his eye. We know the show is meant to be just a romp
but if the rest of the cast had followed Dave Evans, it would have worked much
better.
Apart
from that aspect, there were good performances by Veronica Thwaites-Brown as
the Science Officer with her fruity Russian accent, David Kavanagh as a very
appealing Scottish Bosun, a curious role that starts off nicely but, as
written, doesn’t really go anywhere much, John Kelly as Ariel, the Robot and
Alicia Da Costa, who made the most of the smaller role of Navigation Officer. She also came closest to matching Dave Evans’
performance style.
Costumes
by Christine Pawlicki were very well done, especially the silver costume for
Ariel, the Robot. Musical Director, Nicholas
Griffin, produced a very fine sound from his band. It was also well-balanced with the
singers. Makeup by Janette Humphrey was
imaginative and suited the costumes and characters perfectly. Choreography by Nikole Neal was performed
well by the cast, but here was a chance to come up with some original,
futuristic dances, rather than the predictable routines on display here.
The
music in this show and the production values make it an entertaining
evening. Just be prepared to sit ‘like
patience on a monument’ through the dialogue.
There’ll be another good song along in a minute.....
Originally broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 ‘Dress Circle’ program
on Sunday 9 June 2013