The very name Kneehigh is enough to inspire goose bumps of anticipation whenever a new production of theirs hits town. 946 is no exception. Directed by Emma Rice, this adaption of the Morpurgo tale sparkled from beginning to end, inspiring a capacity and mostly young audience to rise to their feet at the end to roar their approval for beautiful story-telling, engaging performances and irresistible entertainment.
946 is, at its heart, a story of dislocation, of people forced away from their homes by circumstance during the upheaval of WWII, and where unlikely friendships across generations and nationalities are forged. The tale is given fresh bite with its resonance with the current movements of people fleeing across Europe.
Central to the story is the character of 12-year-old Lily Treganza, growing up in sleepy Slapton during WWII. Her dad is away fighting, her mum and granddad are keeping the farm going while he’s away and they don’t have much time to devote to her. Lily develops a strong bond with her cat Tips, who becomes her soul mate. Morpurgo’s brilliance is to make the cat form the link between Lily, her family and eventually two black American soldiers who get caught up with the tragic consequences of Operation Tiger, a rehearsal manoeuver for the Normandy landings, and eventually to her missing dad.
As an adult playing a child, the role of Lily could all so easily have dropped into pantomime. With Owen there was no danger of that. In fact quite the reverse – she absolutely smashed it, delivering a Lily that was as feisty as she was vulnerable. Her performance was the heart of the play and she delivered it with complete conviction. Her aching affection for her pet cat Tips, the anger and fears directed at her missing dad, and her latent sexuality with the evacuee Barry, from London were all treated with extraordinary sympathy for detail, most especially in her body language.
Around this tour-de-force performance there was so much else to savour. The evening began with the first of many songs from the excellent Kneehigh musicians, on this night led by the highly charismatic ‘blues man’ singer Akpore Uzoh, styled in a gloriously pink shirt and tie.
On a cleverly designed double-decked stage that allowed the band to feed its energy into the proceedings below, the night kicked off with the poignant Leaving on a Jet Plane before springing into Born To Be Wild which set the scene for a hilarious cameo of Lily, as a grandmother in her senior years, roaring about on her Bonneville motorbike.
But there was a backstory to unwind. When the Americans finally come to requisition Lily’s home and her town for their military exercises, it is her French and Jewish refugee violin-playing teacher Madame Bounine, played by Emma Darlow, who delivers one of the two outstanding speeches of the night, when she is able to finally persuade Lily’s granddad to finally leave his farm when all others have failed. Before, there are wonderfully realised scenes in Lily’s classroom where bullying of newcomers is meted out, and sexual chemistry begins to flicker. All the while her mum, Kyla Goodey, and Granddad, Kneehigh Artistic Director Mike Shepherd strive to keep things ticking over.
Into this ‘Little England’ suddenly spring two black American GI’s who are lost and looking for Slapton. Ncuti Gatwa and Nandi Bhebhe as Adi and Harry, bring great sensitivity and humour to their roles, but also enormous energy and positivism – wow can they dance!
I must give special mention to Ewan Wardrop’s wonderfully funny Lord Something-or-Other and Mrs Turner, the evacuee’s mum. Both cameos brought the house down. He was, as were the rest of the team, at the top of their game.
In this ever-changing tableau of farm, school, beach, the direction was always seamless while the band always bonded the action. The pace never dropped over two and a half hours. Kneehigh’s signature use of puppetry was always a charming addition. In particular, Tips’ bounding moves were born of keen observation.
See this show while you can, it’s sure to bring a tear to your eye and awaken the compassion in your heart. ★★★★★ Simon Bishop 17th November 2016
Photo credit – Steve Tanner.
