Carpe Jugulum
Fri, 11 July 2003, 04:18 pmWalter Plinge2 posts in thread
Carpe Jugulum
Fri, 11 July 2003, 04:18 pmAs a recent arrival of barely seven months to this charming city it stands to reason that I am also a recent viewer of this website, therefore this is my inaugural review. I trust readers will indulge a tendency to length, which seems rarely to be par for the course for most reviews judging from other contributions to these web pages.
The novel "Carpe Jugulum" by Mr Terry Pratchett is a sprawling tale detailing the age-old batttle of good pitted against evil, in this instance the conflict between usurping vampires and the traditional occupants of the kingdom of Lancre; the royalty, the commoners, and most importantly, the coven of witches who provide the ongoing authoritive steerage for their country. It intertwines the ongoing character development of some previously featured creations from other Discworld stories with a fairly straight-forward tale of devious plots to exploit the innocent and indeed the measures that are needed to be undertaken to overcome such wrongs. To adapt this weighty tome, so wonderfully written by Mr Pratchett, to a theatrical context produces an unavoidably epic stage presentation lasting some two and one half hours, yet it nether-the-less rattles along at a rate that belies such length. The admission prices, which are very reasonable for a show of this nature, certainly give the viewer value for money. The constant shifting and blending of locations and characters are handled admirably by the cleary experienced director, Mr Simon James, aided by his simple, yet highly functional stage design.
It is rare that a viewer of theatre shows produced by members of the local community is treated to such a sumptuous smorgasbord of visual delight, with a commendable attention to detail in the scenery, the wardrobe, the mood-setting lighting and the atmospheric music, the latter used, rather rarely for a stage show I believe, more in the manner of a film soundtrack, linking and underscoring the diverse elements of the story. Full marks should be awarded to those who contributed their creative talents to such a professional show.
The actors and actresses in "Carpe Jugulum" all deliver sound performances. A truly outstanding acting display is given by Mr Robert Whitehead as Count de Magpyre, aptly supported with vim and vigour by the other marvellous members of the de Magpyre clan, although I must admit that Mr Kurtis Chrisafulli as Vlad de Magpyre, as magnetic and menacing as his portrayal came across, was on occassions a trifle difficult to hear.
My other criticisms of the show are no more than mere quibbles; for example, not seeing in this adaptation for the stage some personal favourite moments featured in the novel and invoving the "wee free men"; or the few gaps in entrances by some members of the cast; or some minor fumbles in lines and audibility, but it would be churlish to let these small inconsistencies interfere with the overall superior quality of this show.
No opining in this review would be complete without a mention of the actresses portraying the three Lancre witches, or perhaps it would be more accurate to describe the coven as three, plus one and one half. I cannot think of better casting for these roles than that of Ms Judith Maitland as the cantankerous Mistress Granny Weatherwax, Ms Francesca Phillips as the gregarious Nanny Ogg, or Ms Brooke Silcox as the delightfully "blonde" Magrat. They fill their characters with such accuracy to their novel counterparts that I will now forever be seeing them in these roles whenever I read Mr Pratchett's Discworld works. Undoubtedly Mr Pratchett himself would be suitably impressed.
The traditional coven of three witches is given an extra boost by the new witch-in-the-fold, Agnes Nitt, and her alter-ego Perdita, played respectively by Ms Joanne Williams and Ms Carina Butcher, the latter providing a foil to the insecurities of the former, who also provides numerous delightfully comic moments.
As someone involved in theatre in my younger days, and having some, albeit limited experience directing school shows in the U.K., it becomes apparent rather quickly that working with a large cast of actors and actresses is a difficult task to tackle, yet Mr James has managed to succeed in drawing out positive performances from his both experienced and inexperienced members of his cast. To single out only a few of these would perhaps be unfair, but the acting of Mr Jeremy Malcom, Mr Johan Smitt, Ms Amy Welsh and Ms Rachel Horsley should be highly commended, and of course, one cannot go past the obviously natural comic abilities of Mr Michael Lamont, well demonstrated in the role of Igor.
It would not be difficult to assume from this review that my wife and I enjoyed ourselves immensely last night. With slightly different tastes when it comes to humour, we were giggling and laughing along to often diverse situations, but that is indeed the appeal of Mr Pratchett's works, and with this show in particular. For those who are readers of Mr Pratchett's novels, I urge you to get along to the Hayman Theatre to witness his marvellous creations come to life in such a splendid way, and to those theatre goers around the traps who simply like a good night out, then give yourselves the opportunity to see and enjoy this show while you still can.
Congratulations to Arena Arts and Entertainment Inc.
The novel "Carpe Jugulum" by Mr Terry Pratchett is a sprawling tale detailing the age-old batttle of good pitted against evil, in this instance the conflict between usurping vampires and the traditional occupants of the kingdom of Lancre; the royalty, the commoners, and most importantly, the coven of witches who provide the ongoing authoritive steerage for their country. It intertwines the ongoing character development of some previously featured creations from other Discworld stories with a fairly straight-forward tale of devious plots to exploit the innocent and indeed the measures that are needed to be undertaken to overcome such wrongs. To adapt this weighty tome, so wonderfully written by Mr Pratchett, to a theatrical context produces an unavoidably epic stage presentation lasting some two and one half hours, yet it nether-the-less rattles along at a rate that belies such length. The admission prices, which are very reasonable for a show of this nature, certainly give the viewer value for money. The constant shifting and blending of locations and characters are handled admirably by the cleary experienced director, Mr Simon James, aided by his simple, yet highly functional stage design.
It is rare that a viewer of theatre shows produced by members of the local community is treated to such a sumptuous smorgasbord of visual delight, with a commendable attention to detail in the scenery, the wardrobe, the mood-setting lighting and the atmospheric music, the latter used, rather rarely for a stage show I believe, more in the manner of a film soundtrack, linking and underscoring the diverse elements of the story. Full marks should be awarded to those who contributed their creative talents to such a professional show.
The actors and actresses in "Carpe Jugulum" all deliver sound performances. A truly outstanding acting display is given by Mr Robert Whitehead as Count de Magpyre, aptly supported with vim and vigour by the other marvellous members of the de Magpyre clan, although I must admit that Mr Kurtis Chrisafulli as Vlad de Magpyre, as magnetic and menacing as his portrayal came across, was on occassions a trifle difficult to hear.
My other criticisms of the show are no more than mere quibbles; for example, not seeing in this adaptation for the stage some personal favourite moments featured in the novel and invoving the "wee free men"; or the few gaps in entrances by some members of the cast; or some minor fumbles in lines and audibility, but it would be churlish to let these small inconsistencies interfere with the overall superior quality of this show.
No opining in this review would be complete without a mention of the actresses portraying the three Lancre witches, or perhaps it would be more accurate to describe the coven as three, plus one and one half. I cannot think of better casting for these roles than that of Ms Judith Maitland as the cantankerous Mistress Granny Weatherwax, Ms Francesca Phillips as the gregarious Nanny Ogg, or Ms Brooke Silcox as the delightfully "blonde" Magrat. They fill their characters with such accuracy to their novel counterparts that I will now forever be seeing them in these roles whenever I read Mr Pratchett's Discworld works. Undoubtedly Mr Pratchett himself would be suitably impressed.
The traditional coven of three witches is given an extra boost by the new witch-in-the-fold, Agnes Nitt, and her alter-ego Perdita, played respectively by Ms Joanne Williams and Ms Carina Butcher, the latter providing a foil to the insecurities of the former, who also provides numerous delightfully comic moments.
As someone involved in theatre in my younger days, and having some, albeit limited experience directing school shows in the U.K., it becomes apparent rather quickly that working with a large cast of actors and actresses is a difficult task to tackle, yet Mr James has managed to succeed in drawing out positive performances from his both experienced and inexperienced members of his cast. To single out only a few of these would perhaps be unfair, but the acting of Mr Jeremy Malcom, Mr Johan Smitt, Ms Amy Welsh and Ms Rachel Horsley should be highly commended, and of course, one cannot go past the obviously natural comic abilities of Mr Michael Lamont, well demonstrated in the role of Igor.
It would not be difficult to assume from this review that my wife and I enjoyed ourselves immensely last night. With slightly different tastes when it comes to humour, we were giggling and laughing along to often diverse situations, but that is indeed the appeal of Mr Pratchett's works, and with this show in particular. For those who are readers of Mr Pratchett's novels, I urge you to get along to the Hayman Theatre to witness his marvellous creations come to life in such a splendid way, and to those theatre goers around the traps who simply like a good night out, then give yourselves the opportunity to see and enjoy this show while you still can.
Congratulations to Arena Arts and Entertainment Inc.