Mutiny on the Bounty might bring back thoughts of the dashingly good looking Clark Gable or Mel Gibson and their swashbuckling Hollywood antics, but have you ever thought what happened to those figures after they mutinied? No? Well the multi-award winning playwright Richard Bean (One Man Two Guvnors, Made in Dagenham) attempts to tell their tale in Pitcairn.

The play centres on the aftermath of the overthrow of Captain Bligh in 1789 and the mutineers who find themselves in the middle of the South Pacific on the island of Pitcairn. Led by Fletcher Christian, played by Tom Morley, six mutineers and nine Tahitians attempt to build a utopian ideal and ‘true’ democracy, based on freedom, equality and fraternity. But not all are equal, patriarchy prevails, and in the end Fletcher uses both violent oppression and lies to achieve his goals. With an underlying imperialistic hierarchy and cynicism the play becomes a scathing attack on the British establishment and leads to a serious and melancholic ending centring on the failure of society and dovetailing of two differing cultures.

Bean has possibly hit on an interesting topic, a grown-up and far more sexually explicit version of Lord of the Flies, with scantily-clad Tahitians in linen robes, bare foot and laden with flowers in their flowing hair. This together with Tim Shorthall’s successful stone-clad stage design brought to mind the exotic Tahitian paintings of Paul Gauguin – a land of waterfalls and ravines oozing sexual tension.

Overall however, the script was too complex attempting to cover too many issues, with race, class, religion, the enfranchisement of women, ideas of freedom and the nature of society all being touched upon. Too many ideas abounded and got lost in the density and melee of the script, which particularly seemed at odds with the production and its jocular nature. However, Mark Stafford Clark’s production was pleasing to watch and some performances stood out, particularly the loveable Tahitian Higi, played by Eben Figueiredo and Samuel Edward-Cook’s portrayal of the feisty, testosterone driven Quintal.

Even with its lack of a cohesive script, Bean spins a rip-roaring yarn thick with spectacle and raw energy.   ★★★☆☆     Philip Smith     12/11/14