home | accolade | articles | acting | festivals | guestbook | groups | greenroom | links | news | plays 1 productions | photos | quotes | reviews

spacer.gif (810 bytes)

CARPE JUGULUM
Zenith Theatre Company
At Aldhelm's Church Hall
Branksome, Poole
February 2005

TERRY Pratchett’s Discworld stories are definitely an acquired taste and this one – a witches versus vampires tale – proved slightly difficult to digest, not least because it lasted almost three and a half hours. But things might have been worse – apparently the dress rehearsal ran for five hours.
With no less than 32 separate scenes and 35 different characters the play, directed by Pratchett fan Ian Roth, was a massive challenge for the company too, and they rose to it with gusto. True the prompt’s services were required rather too often – although since both witches and vampires live for hundreds of years their memories cannot be what they were.
However, the monochrome set and costumes were, as always with this company, outstanding and there were some super characterisations, not least from witches Agnes (Debbie Back), Perdita, her alter ego (Laura Elgar), Nanny Ogg (Sheila Garrett), Granny Weatherwax (Ann Whitaker) and Magrat (Denise Keeping).
Those de Magpyrs (Len Murray, Janet Purkis, Mark Hampshaw and Rosemary Witcher) also made quite an impression – and no, it wasn’t just the toothmarks – as did their servant, Igor (Martin Barker), Scraps, his dog (Connor Bawn), and the Revd. Mightily Oats (Dominic Milburn).
Keep eating that garlic, I say.

Linda Kirkman
Courtesy of the Bournemouth Daily Echo


forward Back