Shadowlands
Apr. 17th, 2016 03:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smallhobbitA couple of week's ago I received an email advertising Shadowlands at Worthing Theatre. Normally I would have deleted the email instantly, since we are nowhere near Worthing, but the promotional picture caught my eye and I saw it was Stephen Boxer playing C S (Jack) Lewis. Ooh, I thought, this has to be a touring production, I wonder whether they're coming our way. And it turned out they were coming to Malvern Theatre.
I'd never been to Malvern (although we've been to the Three Counties Showground, which is just outside the town several times) and it's less than an hour's drive away - and easily accessible, so I suggested to SM we go.
And I'm so glad we did. Malvern is a lovely town - although very steep - and the theatre is excellent. The play, being the love story between Lewis and Joy Gresham (Amanda Ryan), is a very gentle one and yet it packs an extremely emotional punch. Stephen Boxer is on stage practically the whole time and carries the play incredibly well. The supporting cast are good, but just supports, for the play is told from Lewis' viewpoint.
We had seats in the front row, so were looking slightly upwards at the stage, but we quickly forgot that as we became immersed in the action. I was very taken with the scenery at the back of the stage, where for many of the scenes we looked out of a large window onto frosty tree branches and a single street lamp; a hint of Narnia, without being obtrusive.
The tour runs into July, so if it's coming to a theatre near you, UK flist, I would definitely recommend it.
I'd never been to Malvern (although we've been to the Three Counties Showground, which is just outside the town several times) and it's less than an hour's drive away - and easily accessible, so I suggested to SM we go.
And I'm so glad we did. Malvern is a lovely town - although very steep - and the theatre is excellent. The play, being the love story between Lewis and Joy Gresham (Amanda Ryan), is a very gentle one and yet it packs an extremely emotional punch. Stephen Boxer is on stage practically the whole time and carries the play incredibly well. The supporting cast are good, but just supports, for the play is told from Lewis' viewpoint.
We had seats in the front row, so were looking slightly upwards at the stage, but we quickly forgot that as we became immersed in the action. I was very taken with the scenery at the back of the stage, where for many of the scenes we looked out of a large window onto frosty tree branches and a single street lamp; a hint of Narnia, without being obtrusive.
The tour runs into July, so if it's coming to a theatre near you, UK flist, I would definitely recommend it.
