‘Treasure Island’ review
‘Treasure Island is a huge success, and assures the audience that the future of Durham Student Theatre is in extremely safe and capable hands’
This swashbuckling tale of adventure takes the Assembly Rooms stage with Durham Student Theatre’s freshest faces. Jim Hawkins is thrust into the world of mutineers when Bill Bones, a patron of his inn, has the infamous ‘Black Spot’ looming over him and a treasure chest full of secrets. As Jim unravels the story, she finds herself on the voyage of a lifetime, not knowing who to trust, or where to turn.
Director Archie Elliot, and Assistant Director Sheel Agarwal, excel in bringing this children’s classic to life. The perfect balance of adventure, spookiness, and humour gives the play a satisfying cohesion, which is only possible from carefully made directorial decisions to extract the most from the play. The staging was ingenious - set on multiple different levels the performance was made dynamic and, when it came, made for a perfect setting for the ill-fated Hispaniola. The choice to add sea shanties was a masterstroke, giving the play an all-important swashbuckling feel and creating captivating moments for the audience, a testament to the work of musical director Emma McGrane.
Under Production Manager Evie Collins, the myriad of production elements infuses the story. The set, designed by Leila Dubik and assisted by Primavera Jones, facilitates the feeling of adventure, effectively using pirate paraphernalia such as flags and ropes to immerse the audience in the exploits. Praise should be given to Leyla Aysan Montoya (Lighting Designer) and Keira Bourgeois (Sound Designer) for a seamless technical display, with the inclusion of some beautiful moments of lighting and sound, particularly when the audience first meets Ben Gunn. The use of flies (operated by Joe Fenton and Elizabeth Sullivan) was a triumph adding a wonderful story-telling atmosphere. More could be done, however, to ensure elements of costuming do not take away from the show’s production value; at times, different characters’ costumes were afforded varied attention to detail, resulting in a slight lack of cohesion.
The play opens with Alice Toner, who is simply fabulous as the play’s narrator and protagonist, Jim Hawkins. She is constantly engaging and captivating, expertly controlling the narrative. In the opening, Julia Panova also shines as her dry-witted Grandma, delivering lines with apt comedic timing. Sebastien Bate and Hannah Bradshaw go some way to immersing the play in piracy with their strong performances as Bill Bones and Blind Pew respectively.
Following the opening, our protagonist meets Doctor Livesey (Martha Buttle) and Squire Trelawney (Max Hildred). Buttle is outstanding as the Doctor, she is equal parts commanding and comedic, bringing a lovely sharpness and sass to the role, making her a firm standout. Hildred’s dim-witted Trelawney is comic excellence at its finest, never missing a laugh from the audience, a marvellously well-sustained performance worthy of the highest praise. As a pair the two complimented each other to perfection.
On arrival at the Hispaniola we meet our gang of mutineers. Harriet Miller, Noah Benson, Lauren Williams, Bethany Jones, Julia Panova and Bethan Crotty are hilarious in their respective roles, offering an enjoyable cohesion and ensemble dynamic for the audience. Cillian Knowles is brilliantly annoying as the tiresome Captain Smollett, utterly achieving the character's desired effect, whilst Mariella Locke offers an enjoyable comedic relief as the aptly named Grey.
The play’s antagonists' performances excel. Emi Sharples is as terrific as she is bloodthirsty as Black Dog, delivering a magnificently intimidating performance, and showcasing a great deal of talent. Tristan Betts is awesome as Long John Silver, a supreme performance which marries sinister evil with a sarky tone to create a quite brilliantly nuanced character, unsettling from beginning to end. In a particular scene under the stars, both Alice Toner and Tristan Betts were excellent in commanding the audience's gaze in finding a moment of calm in the adventure.
On arrival on the Island, Jim meets Ben Gunn (Jack Radcliffe). Radcliffe is great in his role, mastering the physicality and vocal quality of the character, constantly engaging the audience in every step through his well-played distress. Worthy of note is an utterly enthralling moment he spent on stage alone, allowing the audience to truly feel his distress and bravery.
Overall, Treasure Island is a huge success, and assures the audience that the future of Durham Student Theatre is in extremely safe and capable hands. All involved should be commended for turning around such a fantastic play in a short space of time, a great achievement for a group of people just settling into University life.
By Samuel Bentley.