Written by: Dombo (@DomOJFryer)Where's Dom gone?
Ovalhouse, London
Was Dom fond?
***
It is an odd thing to find yourself surrounded by people a third
of your size. Yet when watching IO Theatre Company's new adaptation of acclaimed
author Jenny Nimmo's The Snow Spider,
this is what happens. Children's theatre seems to be fluent with the Zeitgeist
right now in Britain, with seemingly more shows popping up than seen before.
As the audience walks into the stifling heat of the small
black box of the Ovalhouse downstairs, it is hard to imagine any form of snow
penetrating the room - you probably will have to shed a few layers. Florence
Hazard has done a wonderful job of transforming the simple space into something
much more; over the two hours the versatile set is two houses, a school, a
forest and a large mountain - I don't think I could walk these hypothetical
distances in two hours, let alone transform into them.
As the play opens, Nain (Anne-Marie Piazza) tells us of the
ancient welsh magicians and how, maybe, the magic still lives. As the story
progresses we find Gwyn (Joey Hickman) on his birthday being told of this magic
by his Nain. Much to his parents' derision, Gwyn tries to find the extent to
which he has these powers, ultimately trying to bring back his sister Bethan
(Catrin Livsey) with the help of the Snow Spider (a puppet played by numerous
hands). Whilst there is no stand out performer, collectively the ensemble is
incredibly strong, displaying the kind of chemistry you usually see in Mr.
Edmunds' year 11 science class.
It is also clear that these performers are massively talented in
physical theatre and musically trained; the music which accompanies the piece
throughout is excellent and creates a cinematic element to the experience -
James Lark, a stalwart of IO, has done a fantastic job as composer. The music
also wonderfully creates a magical atmosphere and helps to draw in the young
children in the audience.
A huge triumph in this piece is the lighting by Pablo Fernandez
Baz, who has evidently worked hard to design some incredible effects. The
audience is treated to all the seasons through the push of a button.
While there are many treats to be had in this piece, it has a
tendency to drag a tad after the interval, at times losing momentum and perhaps
the attention of the audience.
If you're looking for an inventive and creative treat for the
family, this show definitely has its selling points; definitely worth seeing -
if IO discover the magic they're looking for.
This production runs until 17 November 2012.
For more information: http://www.ovalhouse.com/whatson/detail/the-snow-spider
@Ovalhouse
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