5 STARS, November 1-4. Alice Cairns enjoys a joyful, imaginative production that buzzes with creative energy
Around the World in 80 Days is a story about doing the impossible. This production rises to the challenge, giving us an exuberant, cheeky and endlessly inventive take on Jules Verne’s beloved novel.
Phileas Fogg lives a life of monotonous routine. He likes everything to be mathematically precise – from the temperature of his tea, to the time he goes to bed. But one day, over a game of whist at the Reform Club, Fogg’s friends insist that it’s impossible to travel around the world in 80 days. Incensed by this affront to his good sense and meticulous timekeeping, Fogg wagers half his fortune that he can make the trip. He stuffs the other half into a suitcase and drags his new valet, Passepartout, on a wild journey to circumnavigate the globe. Unbeknownst to them, they’re also being followed by a resourceful policeman who’s intent on arresting Fogg for robbing the Bank of England.
It’s a story with cinematic scope – a whole world of settings and a constantly shifting cast of international characters. It seems like the kind of thing that shouldn’t work on stage – but it does. The crew have found creative solutions to every problem. 8 (immensely talented) actors play 125 characters – including a troupe of acrobats. In a particularly memorable scene, two actors and a checked greatcoat become an elephant, complete with expressive, swaying trunk.
It was all the more impressive because the set was remarkably minimal. A stacked bank of suitcases acted as a staircase, and a huge map of the world formed a back-drop. Beyond this, every one of the play’s many distinct locations was evoked with props, music, and a few well-chosen items of costume. On the surface the play had a loose, fun, almost improvised feel – but it was intricately and meticulously choreographed. Matrix style fight scenes, dances, stormy boat rides – each was evoked with streamlined precision.
The production was knowingly theatrical – the fourth wall was often broken to great comic effect. Passerpartout regularly called on audience members to retrieve lost props that he ‘needed for the next scene’. At one point, an audience member had to drag him across the stage to get him to a boat on time.
The cast were a flexible, multi-talented lot, and Michael Hugo as Passerpartout stole the show. He bantered with the audience, improvised songs, and performed acrobatic feats. He provided the perfect contrast to Andrew Pollard’s relentlessly upright, suavely self-assured Phileas Fogg.
It’s a charming, thoroughly likeable production. It reminded me that the constraints of theatre can actually work to its advantage if they’re addressed by a stellar creative team – this makeshift, inventive adaptation was a lot more fun than any sleek cinema adaptation could hope to be. Get hold of tickets if you can!
Check out our Theatre/Arts Section for more great local theatre news, reviews and interviews
You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on all our latest articles
Sign up to our Weekly Newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and stories
Looking to advertise your business in Surrey or SW London? Check out our 11 different lifestyle magazines with a combined monthly distribution of over 210,000 AB1 homes
