Treasure Island by Le Navet Bete at Lichfield Garrick

Looking around the auditorium of Lichfield’s Garrick Theatre, my daughter and I could see any number of small (but fairly fierce looking) pirates. However, in between them we could see one lad clutching his copy of Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’. A classic children’s tale of adventure, piracy and derring-do, we were about to meet Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver and, quite randomly, Captain Birdseye of ‘fish finger’ fame (although it was quite disturbing to discover during the show that fish fingers are actually comprised of pirates that have crossed the white bearded grandfather figure of my youth). This was Le Navet Bete’s comical adaptation of the classic novel after all!

Exeter-based, 4-man Le Navet Bete are currently touring the country and my 9 year old daughter and I managed to catch them as they passed through the Midlands. The show was full of laughs, with a few of the original characters and some additional ones too. Long John Silver’s parrot had been renamed ‘Alexa’, because he had come across her in the Amazon. Unfortunately, she kept mishearing her instructions and ordering items such as Chinese lanterns and transparent underwear.

Captain Flint was now a pirate captain who had hidden her treasure well on Skeleton Island. ‘Jim-lad’ set out to re-discover it and make his fortune. However, all was not as it seemed for him as he made his way on his clipper - the ‘Jolly Todger’ (no, that’s not a typo) - to the Caribbean. I was slightly concerned that the wardrobe department might have run into financial difficulties given that one of the sailor’s costumes was rather small and tight-fitting, which left little to the imagination.

This show was well produced, good fun and full of laughs. If the young lad with his copy of Treasure Island had hoped for a classic re-telling, he would have been disappointed. As you may have guessed from the above, there was quite a lot of innuendo and overtly sexual comedy involved, some of which would have made Widow Twanky blush the colour of Santa’s breeches. We wish Le Navet Bete continued success as they continue their tour.

Treasure Island is had a short run at The Garrick but they have more dates on their website:

http://lenavetbete.com/tour-dates/

Comments

Michael Morpurgo's Farm Boy @ Lichfield Garrick

The author Michael Morpurgo is a brilliant story teller and his Farm Boy story is no exception. This production has at its core a story that hooks you in and keeps you captivated. A grandfather and his grandson talk you through stories from their family that intertwine with the history of World War One and life on a farm. This play had parts that made me smile and chuckle but more parts that gave me goosebumps and a ripple of emotion. When grandfather made a confession and called on his grandson to help him, I was hooked waiting to hear the burden that he had born for his entire life. No spoilers though, come and see the play for yourself. The music in Farm Boy is an original score written by Matt Marks. It enhanced the story telling evoking memories and pictures in my mind. This combined with the strength of the story is clearly the reason the show has been at the Edinburgh Fringe and 'off Broadway' in New York. Throughout the show, there are just two actors on...

Review of Gangsta Granny by Heartbreak Productions.

In 10 years time, my children won’t specifically remember the occasions that I picked them up from school, cooked our favourite pasta dish or watched their swimming lesson. But they will remember some of things that we did that were out of the ordinary. They will remember some of the memories that we made together. As we headed out of the door on Friday evening, I knew we were making memories. I was just hoping it wasn’t going to be because the whole family had got soaked to the skin sitting in a park on a Friday night watching a play. We had a flask full of hot chocolate, a box of malteasers and some large umbrellas borrowed from a neighbour. We were heading to a Heartbreak Productions outdoor show in Walsall Arboretum. It was pretty exciting heading out in the evening and walking through an empty park to get to the bandstand where the show was being staged. When I told Little Lady what we were going to see, she was extremely excited. In fact, we all were because ...

MiniBrum

What is it? MiniBrum is a play space for under eights based on the theme of a mini Birmingham. There are different areas for children to explore including a canal barge, a construction zone and a shop. The whole of MiniBrum is designed to support children’s role play and exploration of real life spaces. The unique interactive gallery has been created with the input of over 800 children and families from across Birmingham. Where is it? Mini Brum is part of ThinkTank which is Birmingham’s science museum. MiniBrum is on the third floor next to the recently revamped planetarium. Entry to ThinkTank is £14 per adult and £10.25 per child. Under 3’s are free and during Birmingham term time there is a special adult and toddler (aged 3-5) ticket for £15. Another great offer is the £3 per person entry fee after 3pm on term time weekdays. When does it open? It opens to the public on 25 th May in time for half term. I would expect it to be very busy. My advice woul...

Capable Child

Search This Blog