Theatre / Reviews
Review: The Stolen Winter Light, The Rondo, Bath – ‘A great achievement’
Once again, The Rondo artistic team has had the guts to commission a new work at a time when other theatres in pursuit of box office income might choose to play safe. Thank goodness there are still champions of new writing willing to take the risk.
Greedy Pig’s The Stolen Winter Light has many of the features we look for in a family Christmas show – friendship, jeopardy, fears allayed, light in the dark and romantic love – told with humour for all ages.
But writer Douglas Murdoch has added an edge to this script, in which the forced separation of Astrid and Luna, whose love gave us the moon and the stars, threatens the lives of the residents of Midwinter, by gradually depriving them of light.
is needed now More than ever
This isn’t a saccharine, bright, shallow show – it’s spare and mud-coloured, with protagonists who have complicated motives and character flaws, which make us want them both to succeed even when they have opposing intent.
Bo, on a quest to protect his family by finding and killing ‘the stealer of the light’ finds himself falling into the Hollow, home of the lonely Clemmy.
Bo’s need for help is too flattering to resist, so a cautious arrangement is made. Bo can stay, but must not move or look around the place, while Clemmy goes out for ‘supplies’.
Bo accidentally discovers a secret and realises he has to take action. Between them, Bo and Clemmy come to understand what they have in common and what they must do to restore light to Midwinter.
Played by an extremely engaging Ian Mclean in his first professional role (first of many, I predict), Bo is open, funny and courageous. Budoor Alnowais’ Clemmy is tough but vulnerable. They work easily together, and beautifully well with the onstage signer and the two musicians, who have no lines but are embedded as characters in the story.
With original songs and incidental music by the talented Harry Miller, and a great set designed by Patrick Withey, the show is a great achievement for this company.
I reviewed a different show of theirs back in the summer and I find I have the same basic opinion of them now as I did then – they need a little more rigour in script and direction, but you leave the theatre feeling happy that you saw them and hopeful that they succeed.
And I can’t finish this review without saying how great it is to be in an audience where 75 per cent of them are under 35. That’s the future of theatre-going right there.
The show is on til Dec 23rd – treat yourself.
The Stolen Winter Light is at the Rondo Theatre, Bath on December 13-24; times vary. Tickets are available at www.rondotheatre.co.uk.
All photos: Greedy Pig Theatre
Read more: Review: Spoil Me, The Rondo, Bath – ‘A bold show delivered with joy and honesty’
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