20 November – 6 January
Perhaps you’ve already feasted on a festive panto this winter…? Maybe Scrooge has already undergone his ghostly conversion, and you’re now looking for another kind of show to enjoy…? If you seek a wonderfully entertaining, family treat this Christmas, then once again you need look no further than the Barn Theatre’s latest theatrical offering. “Treasure Island” is a slick, sophisticated, swashbuckling gem of a show which is guaranteed to shiver your festive timbers.
In once again choosing to eschew more conventional Christmas-tide titles in favour of a different kind of story, artistic director Iwan Lewis and his creative team have opted to revisit Robert Louis Stevenson’s much-loved children’s tale, surely more a case of ‘Yo Ho Ho’ rather than ‘Ho Ho Ho’. Originally penned in 1881, it tells the rites-of-passage story of cabin-boy Jim Hawkins and his adventures on the high seas with Long John Silver, his band of pirates and, of course, the search for a hidden chest full of treasure.
From the very first scene, this show impresses. For audiences of all ages, there is something timeless and relatable about Jim’s quest to discover the truth about himself and his mysterious father, which explains perhaps the tale’s enduring appeal. Elliot Gooch gives a very strong performance as Jim, alongside cabin-girl and soul-mate Lennie, played equally well by Olivia Rose Deane. There is some wonderfully camp and comic interplay between Oliver Nazareth Aston’s Doctor Livesey and Sam Denia’s Squire Trelawney, and George Evans gives a star turn as the legendary Silver. Georgia Leila Stoller is simply superb as a wonderfully enigmatic Jen Gunn as Stevenson’s all-male cast of characters is cleverly rebalanced for a contemporary audience. Reuben Greeph completes the line-up as a very smooth Captain Smollett, whilst also being responsible for the superb musical direction.
This young and highly talented cast of seven individuals rarely leaves the stage; when not acting (including additional minor roles for all the cast), they are providing the music on a wide range of instruments – twenty-two different ones, to be exact: I counted three different cast members taking turns on the piano, for example. Much of the time they are actually doing both simultaneously; having trained as actor-musicians, they transition seamlessly and skilfully between both disciplines.
The show bristles with gung-ho energy and piratical humour, helped by writer Alan Pollock’s excellent adaptation which allows the story to move successfully from page to stage. Alfie Heywood’s set design is once again imaginative and versatile, with minimal staging requirements. There is some highly effective lighting throughout which cleverly helps limit the need for complex scene transitions, whereas simple costume changes, often taking place on stage, allow the show to continue at a cracking pace. Huge credit must also go to Lee Freeman and Mark Anderson for their wonderfully original score, which fuses a range of musical styles and influences around a dozen or so sea shanties. Allied to some superbly choreographed dance moves, the whole show feels slick and meticulously rehearsed.
Adults and children alike will find so much to enjoy in this bountifully buccaneering bonanza. This is a very funny and family-friendly show for all ages, and the perfect festive treat if you are looking for something different over the next few weeks. So weigh your anchor and set sail for Cirencester: “Treasure Island” is well worth shelling out a few pieces of silver.
★★★★★ Tony Clarke 9 December 2023
Photo credit: Alex Tabrizi
