25 November – 4 January
The Barn Theatre has once again made the bold decision to eschew more traditional Christmas pantomime shows in favour of another entirely new festive offering, opting this year for a reimagining of Alexandre Dumas’ thrilling novel of adventure and derring-do, The Three Musketeers. The result is a surefire, swashbuckling smash hit.
For the sixth year in a row, The Barn has turned to writer Alan Pollock for an adaptation of a much-loved classic, with this year’s production having all the hallmarks which made previous shows such as Treasure Island and The True Adventures of Marian and Robin so successful. The creative team of director Bryan Hodgson, lyricist Mark Anderson and composer Lee Freeman have combined with Pollock to produce a hugely enjoyable and relentlessly energetic take on Dumas’ tale of D’Artagnan, (George Shuter in an impressive professional stage debut) a young man who heads to Paris determined to join the eponymous legendary heroes Athos, Porthos and Aramis in order to seek out the truth about his father’s disappearance and to join this illustrious trio. The show has some refreshing twists for a modern audience, with the Musketeers all retired members of a musical band, this time armed with aerosol spray cans rather than swords.
Of course, music features prominently throughout the entire performance, with a score of original and memorable songs complimented by some superb choreography. As with previous years, the show is built on the impressive foundation of a talented cast of actor-singer-musicians who excel across a range of musical styles and instruments, doing so at a breathless pace as the story barrels along. The seven players, including several Barn favourites such as Georgia Leila Stoller and Sam Denia, combine their musical talents and powerful voices with some impressive comic acting in a performance which, just three days in, already feels slick and very well-rehearsed. There are some nods to panto with some tame (and perhaps superfluous) innuendos and a wonderfully camp villain in Cardinal Richelieu. But the show largely avoids the more predictable pantomime tropes in favour of a different approach which feels much more contemporary and appropriate for our ever-changing times and social attitudes.
Being able to call on Cirencester local Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen to design your set and costumes is another ace which the show has up its beautifully flamboyant sleeves. Visually the set is impressive too, with artistically-styled monochrome scenery contrasting strikingly with the vivid, neon-coloured costumes, whereas the clever use of multimedia projections further enhance the contemporary feel.
This is another success story in the Barn’s impressive stable, a funny, heartwarming seasonal tale which audiences of all ages will doubtless enjoy enormously over the next six weeks. Pollock’s desire to “retell this famous story in such a way as to honour a familiar tale whilst adding something unmistakably our own” is achieved with originality and humour leaving us with that feel-good spring in our step.
★★★★★ Tony Clarke 28 November 2024
Photo credit: Alex Tabrizi
