National Theatre
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The story is by no means simple, but in this re-imagined production it is relatively easy to understand, especially as on occasions Perdita (played by Gabby Wong) gives brief explanations in modern-day English. The play fits comfortably into one hour, which I think is a perfect amount of time. Nothing of the story is lost and it doesn't ever feel like it's jumping around, while at the same time it doesn't drag on too long for the younger audience members who perhaps have slightly shorter attention spans!
The play started at a New Year's Eve party, complete with flashing lights, bright outfits and plenty of disco dancing. It really was a fun way to kick everything off. But once we got more into the meat of the first part of the story the energy dropped and it lost momentum. It remained at a slower tempo for a while, until the entrance of a wonderful sheep. She (Gina the sheep, that is) came onto stage having done a lap of the auditorium, being petted along the way and proceeded to blow raspberries and just generally be a bit silly until she was chased off. All this was accompanied by uproarious laughter from the audience, who were once again invigorated and keenly watched the rest of the show.
It was excellent that there were comedic touches to counterbalance the more serious Shakespeare, although it would have been nice to see them intermingled more thoroughly.
It was excellent that there were comedic touches to counterbalance the more serious Shakespeare, although it would have been nice to see them intermingled more thoroughly.
The modest set transformed magically to show the changing seasons which were shown through a clock the size of the whole stage, and in spring a May Pole and a fully flowering lawn appeared. The movement that came with these transitions was really lively and even involved some audience participation!
At times, I felt that this production needed to remember it's young audience and have a little more drive and be a bit more upbeat in order to keep them engaged throughout. That being said, it is wonderful to have such an accessible introduction to Shakespeare which can be enjoyed by younger theatre-goers.
My Brother's Review: As a 10 year old, I understood the whole thing, and I managed to understand all of the Shakespearean language. The beginning was really lively and full of action, but then I thought that it slowed down a little bit after a while and got less engaging for younger viewers. I thought that the set was really clever, especially when they changed from winter to spring, I thought it was really cool that they made the whole stage into a clock by putting some giant cogs and handles onto a small, central, raised platform and then wound the handles forward. I also thought the sheep was really funny, and I enjoyed the comic disguises that some characters wore!
Really affordable - tickets are £12 or for under 18's its only £8! And a trip to the National is never complete without the legendary rocky road! I'd also recommend the Backstage High Level Walkway to have a look at all the things going on in the National's workshops.