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Shaw Competition 2023/ Prince Caspian, tailored for the stage by Damien Atkins, primarily based on the novel by C.S. Lewis, directed by Molly Atkinson, Royal George Theatre, Mar. 30 to Oct. 8. Tickets right here.
Competition goers typically ignore the present designed for younger folks, but that manufacturing is commonly among the many finest. Take for instance this 12 months’s Shaw providing for younger audiences, Prince Caspian, which is an absolute stunner.
Damian Atkins is a superb actor who occurs to be an equally superb playwright. His adaptation of this second novel of C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia sequence is just implausible for a wide range of causes.
First, for individuals who have by no means learn these revered Fifties youngsters’s books, Atkins contains sufficient info up entrance to anchor newbies into the story.
The narration all through belongs to the Physician (Fiona Byrne), who’s the Prince’s tutor, and Atkins has made it succinct to the second. The Physician leads us via the motion with pointed textual content, which is what you desire a narrator to do.
Thus, I, who’ve by no means learn the Chronicles, discovered concerning the youngsters on the coronary heart of the story — Peter who’s courageous (Kyle Blair), Susan who is smart (Marla McLean), Edmund who’s opposite (Andrew Lawrie), and Lucy who sees issues that others can’t (Kiana Woo).
I found that the kids as soon as dominated as kings and queens in Narnia, thus creating the so-called Golden Age, and that they’ve been summoned again to Narnia to assist Prince Caspian (Michael Man) regain his throne from his usurping uncle King Miraz (Sanjay Talwar).
We additionally get to satisfy the good lion Aslan (Qasim Khan) who’s the ability behind Narnia, and Trumpkin the Dwarf (Shane Carty) who’s Prince Caspian’s shut ally. Patty Jamieson and Jade Repeta have enjoyable enjoying assorted fantastical creatures.
Now any frequent Shaw attendee will definitely perk up on the solid checklist as a result of it is a pageant A-team. Actually, many of those actors seem within the Synge basic Playboy of the Western World, which is not any straightforward journey. This solid provides Prince Caspian gravitas.
Molly Atkinson’s route is great as she leads her actors via the story with stately simplicity. Profitable again a throne is critical enterprise, and the solid provides dedicated performances. They play it for actual.
Cory Sincennes’ magical set incorporates all types of surprises, whereas his costumes shine with creativeness. For instance, Aslan’s persona is just good with its mix of human and puppet elements. Jareth Li’s lighting is perfection, as is Alessandro Juliani’s thrilling cinematic rating.
After which there are the superior battle scenes staged by the venerable struggle grasp John Stead. Prince Caspian is actually crammed with thrills and chills from the start to the top, to not point out poignant moments of intense pathos.
That is the third Narnia adaptation to play at Shaw. The others are The Magician’s Nephew in 2018, and The Horse and His Boy in 2019 (the fifth and fourth books respectively), and to my disgrace, I gave them a miss.
The Prince Caspian efficiency I attended was crammed with adults who have been clearly having time. The manufacturing is fantastic leisure from youth to previous age, and isn’t to be missed.
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Paula Citron is a Toronto-based freelance arts journalist and broadcaster who hosts her personal web site, paulacitron.ca. For over 25 years, she was senior dance author for The Globe and Mail, affiliate editor of Opera Canada journal, arts reviewer for Classical 96.3 FM, and dance previews contributor to Toronto Life journal. She has been a visitor lecturer for varied cultural teams and universities, notably on the position of the critic/reviewer, and has been a panellist on COC podcasts. Earlier than assuming a full-time journalism profession, Ms. Citron was a member of the drama division of the Claude Watson College for the Arts.
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