I got a copy of Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle for my thirteenth birthday; a thick book with large print and (in hindsight) a rather ugly front cover. It has been one of my favourite books ever since, travelling with me to university, and remaining on my bookshelf as one by one, the other books from my childhood are relegated back to my room in my parents’ house. The spine is broken, the pages are tatty, and I will never replace it.
When I spied the programme listing for I Capture the Castle at the Oxford Playhouse, I first felt excitement, closely followed by dread. My favourite book; did I want to watch the play? And not just a play, but a musical? I have nothing against musicals – in fact, I tend to be a fan – but this seemed like it might be too difficult. I wasn’t sure if my beloved and ‘consciously naïve’ Cassandra could narrate a musical. Would her already strange family suffer from over-dramatization? But of course I couldn’t miss it.
This production proved to be a pleasant surprise. The abridgment of the story was neatly done, the characters were true to the original, and the acting and singing were excellent. I could have watched Ben Watson as the delightfully temperamental James Mortmain all night. Some sections tended towards the melodramatic, but that’s to be expected from a musical.
The song writing was good (how could anyone not love Rose’s ‘Peach-Coloured Towels’ refrain?); however, the scoring suffered from a lack of variety. There were really only two types of tune – upbeat Charleston-esque numbers and slow ballads – resulting in a lot of the songs sounding very similar. This was a bit disappointing, as the little orchestra, suspended above the stage, were extremely good.
My favourite thing about this version of I Capture the Castle was the set design, which was gorgeous! Belmotte Tower was built from wooden ladders and chairs – a seemingly ramshackle design that looked as if it would fall at any moment, but which the cast clambered over without mishap. The nostalgic lighting and design was perfectly evocative of the tone of the book, and I think fans of Dodie Smith won’t be disappointed if they pay a visit to the Oxford Playhouse this week. ★★★☆☆ @BookingAround 17th May 2017
@ICTCthemusical
