bess.txt

http://www.nightnews.net/fringe2008.htm#bess

The Highwayman - The Curious Room
venue :: C cubed
see links :: http://www.thecuriousroom.com
http://www.kidsco.org.uk
category :: Theatre
Reviewed date :: 25 08 08

Review: The Curious Room production company did a remarkable job 
in commissioning and presenting this new play around the old 
narrative poem, 'The Highwayman' by Alfred Noyes. The writing by
Bahar Brunton fully complements the original poem, known for its
imagery and cadence. The narrative of the play dramatises and 
lends a credible interpretation to the action, characters and 
their motivations which remain mostly implicit in the poem. The
Curious Room succeed in paying tribute to the rhythm and brooding
nature of the story as well as giving us a compelling tale of
love, jealousy, betrayal and sacrifice in their play. Presented
in the minimalist surroundings of a former Masonic temple in 
Brodies Close, the excellent cast led by show producer Kate Sawyer,
in the role of Bess, gives us an emotional roller coaster ride 
that is completely gripping right to the tragic ending. It is not 
necessary to be familiar with the poem in order to appreciate the
narrative or action of the play. The company do very helpfully 
include a copy of the poem in their programme for those that may
be interested. Bahar Bruntons version creates a plausible tragic
triangle between Bess, The Ostler and the Highwayman. The writing
does a great job of building up sympathy for the central 
characters in the first half so that the bloody, tragic ending 
when it comes, leaves nobody in the theatre unmoved. There is 
good use of music in the play and some use of film projection 
between scenes, presumably meant to underline and heighten the 
emotional aspects of the action. The film shorts though were 
blurry and of poor quality, so this aspect of the staging did 
not seem to work as well as the musical accompaniment. The resentful
ostler pines for Bess, the innocent friend of his youth. Bess 
herself longs for the Highwayman and wishes to escape her fathers
Inn. Though the Highwayman is less fleshed out as a character he 
remains central to the action and his love for Bess is rendered 
eerily eternal at the climax of this production. This last 
complements the dark and elemental nature of both the poem and
the staging of the play. By the time Bess and her Highwayman are
betrayed by the ostler and consigned to eternity, the audience 
have been completely captivated by the narrative behind this engaging
couple. Their epitaph is this dark, gripping, emotional story of a 
forbidden and tragic love.
4 gold bats

by John C Vassallo