7 – 31 December
Hammerpuzzle’s long-awaited return to the Everyman Theatre after a gap of three years is unquestionably worth the wait. Their rendering of Lark Rise to Candleford, based on Flora Thompson’s trilogy of fictionalised memoirs, is a gentle, affectionate and superbly-executed treat, and the perfect companion and counterpoint to Dick Whittington and his Cat Tweedy, the Everyman’s riotously funny pantomime running simultaneously on the main stage.
As with so many of Hammerpuzzle’s shows, and indeed so many of the Irving Studio’s offerings, the greatest strength of Lark Rise in such a setting lies in the intensity and intimacy of the ‘black box’ theatrical experience. A multi-talented cast of just four retells Laura’s story in flashback, from her early childhood through to old age, but presenting the narrative in such a confined space draws the audience right into the human drama of the piece, such that their experiences, concerns and emotions also become ours. Their tears shed at the end become our tears too. It is an immersive and memorable experience from start to finish.
Lark Rise fondly evokes a bygone age. As she nears the end of her life, our protagonist, played with warmth and skill by Katy Sobey, accompanied by her brother Edmund (the fantastically versatile Alex Wilson), revisits key episodes, settings and characters from her life as if they were happening for the first time. We see how she was born into an impoverished rural community where opportunities for learning and social advancement were scarce. A love of reading is kindled in our young heroine, giving her freedom and unlocking myriad “worlds within worlds within worlds”; this in turn opens her eyes to a life beyond Lark Rise, and the beguiling charms of the more emancipated Dorcus Lane (Lizzie Crarer), and we see how her life will be forever altered as a result.
You would scarcely believe this cast have had just ten days to rehearse this show, such is the smooth interchanging of numerous characters who weave in and out of Laura’s life, and the choreography and singing of the musical numbers. Emmanuel Olusanya completes this highly-talented quartet, three of whom are also appearing in Hammerpuzzle’s family-friendly The Snow Queen which plays earlier in the day. A limited backstage area necessitates a creative and resourceful use of staging and props, but this actually enhances the show rather than detracting from it in any way. It is simple, but so clever, so effective.
There is such charm and beauty in this bucolic narrative. It harks from a time when life was easier, less frantic when compared to the rigours, regimes and relentless pace of a modern life dominated by Tik-Tok, technology and timetables. And it is for that very reason alone that you should see it. The power and influence of reading is one of this charming play’s central themes, and unquestionably part of its importance and relevance to a modern audience which is much in need of a restoration of the simplest and most fundamental pleasures in life.
★★★★★ Tony Clarke, 9th December, 2022
