TREASURE ISLAND
Cut
to the Chase at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch
29.07.13
After
last
summer's
Peter
Pan,
Stevenson's
ever-popular
story
of
"buccaneers
and
buried
gold".
It
is
an
amazing
show
– specially
commissioned
from
Hornchurch
favourite
Chris
Bond,
with
original
music,
largely
inspired
by
songs
and
ballads
of
the
period,
by
Steven
Markwick,
and
a
superb
set
by
Claire
Lyth.
It
is
Skeleton
Island,
of
course,
but
gradually
revealed,
first
as
a
jetty
or
promontory
for
the
Admiral
Benbow,
then
as
the
deck
of
the
Hispaniola
[a
wonderful
transformation]
and
finally
as
the
lush,
revolving
tropical
paradise.
Excellent
work
from
the
Cut
to
the
Chase
company
of
actor/musicians
– even
before
the
first
entrance
of
the
pirate
band
they
are
out
in
the
foyer,
posing
for
Instagrams
and
getting
the
younger
punters
onside
in
their
quest
for
Billy
Bones.
But
here
lies
the
only
real
problem
with
Bob
Carlton's
very
enjoyable
summer
show.
Is
it
aimed
at
the
Cub
Scouts
with
their
glow-sticks
and
their
pirate
hats
?
Stevenson's
dark
tale
is
faithfully
served,
at
least
in
the
First
Act,
and
there's
plenty
of
exposition
and
story-telling.
Then,
suddenly
as
flipping
a
switch,
Sam
Pay's
Trelawny
makes
his
entrance,
and
the
whole
mood
changes
to
Blackadderish
banter
and
silliness,
as
he
and
Dr
Livesey
[Sean
Needham]
recruit
"wiff-waff"
for
their
treasure
quest.
The
whole
thing seems
to
want
to
be
an
authentic
eighteenth-century
piece,
with
satire
and
popular
songs,
like
The
Beggar's
Opera.
Then
suddenly
there's
a
bouncy
cheese-based
number
for
Ben
Gunn
[Sam
Kordbacheh]
which
wouldn’t
be
out
of
place
in
Spamalot.
And
for
those
expecting
a
panto,
the
classic
ombres
chinoises
operation
routine
...
Much
of
the
narrative
falls
to
Dylan
Kennedy's
Jim
Lad:
an
appealing
performance,
sweetly
sung,
but
a
bit
of
a
wimp
in
this
version.
Much
more
ballsy
characterizations
from
Alice
Blundell
and
Sarah
Mahony
as
the
female
pirates,
and
from
Kordbacheh
when
he
finally
re-appears
as
Flint
in
all
his
swashbuckling
glory.
James
Earl
Adair
makes
a
believable,
multi-dimensional
Long
John
Silver
– supported
by
a
crutch
and
a
scene-stealing
parrot.
The
script
is
often
witty,
with
shreds
of
Stevenson
for
good
measure.
The
music
is
great
– Liliburlero,
name-checked
in
the
novel,
is
there,
as
is
Fifteen
Men
– and
the
big
Brave
Buccaneer
number
is
catchy,
though
it
could
have
used
a
bit
more
choreography.
A
"perfect
summertime
treat"?
Well,
yes,
apart
from
the
very
tiniest,
the
kids
seemed
happy
with
the
pirates,
the
impressive
storm,
the
swordplay
and
the
exciting
ending.
And
while
liberties
are
certainly
taken
with
the
story,
the
spirit
of
Stevenson,
and
of
the
eighteenth-century
stage,
lives
on
in
this
enjoyable
theatrical
adventure.
Captain
Hook
last
year,
Silver
this
year.
And
in
summer
2014
?
What
about
the
Broadway
Pirates
of
Penzance,
with
Kordbacheh
bringing
his
dashing
Depp
to
the
role
of
the
Pirate
King
?
this piece first appeared on The Public Reviews
+in+Treasure+Island+at+the+Queen's+Theatre,+Hornchurch.jpg)
