The Light Burns Blue at Bristol Old Vic review
Posted on: 2015-04-17
Our rating:
A delightful, often humorous but overall emotionally charged piece of original theatre. Made all the more so by Musical Director Jacob Bright?s ethereal score, which flows beautifully to illustrate the emotion and drama of each scene.
Bristol Old Vic Young Company continue their award-winning tradition of presenting original and thought provoking theatre with The Light Burns Blue.
The play, written by Silva Semerciyan and commissioned by Tonic Theatre as part of its new Platform series of scripts for schools and youth theatre groups aiming to redress the balance of parts for young women, is innovative, exciting and provides a plethora of well defined roles for ‘us ladies’.
In 1917 two young girls in a quiet Yorkshire village took photographs of the fairies living at the bottom of their garden and the whole world sat up and took notice. Vast efforts were made to prove that these really were an insight into the fairy realm, and resulted in swathes of the population, including Sherlock Holmes creator and spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle, duly becoming convinced that they were right to believe in fairies.
This play is inspired by the story of the Cottingley Fairies, and provides a moving account of what happens when the public identifies with a story and it takes on a life of its own. Essentially much more than a fairytale, this production is about photography, imagination, how truth can be distorted and people come to truly believe something purely because they want to. This is a story based on fascinating characters who find themselves catapulted to fame; thrust into the spotlight in a way that surely resonates with the celebrity obsessed generation of today.
The action centres on Elsie Wright and the veritable whirlwind she gets caught up in from the moment she takes the first photograph to becoming the subject of intense attention in London and across the globe. This was a time when the world was an uncertain place; the First World War raged on and technology was developing to disprove many long held ideas. It was a time when society needed something extraordinary to believe in and Elsie and her cousin Frances were able to provide this.
All characters are beautifully drawn and developed with each getting time to shine. As the centre of the play Kate Alhadeff gives an understated, affecting performance displaying a range of emotion as Elsie, who though decidedly out of her depth remains determined to protect the existence of the fairies that mean so much to so many. Also of note is Jenny Davies whose performance as investigative journalist Winifred Douglas demonstrates a really understanding of the character, masterfully conveying the internal conflict she feels trying to unveil the fairies as a hoax.
Director Lisa Gregan coaxes energetic, enthusiastic performances from a very able cast who have an innate awareness of the complex relationships between characters and are able to deliver performances full of feeling. The company provide the audience with a delightful, often humorous but overall emotionally charged piece of original theatre. Made all the more so by Musical Director Jacob Bright’s ethereal score, which flows beautifully to illustrate the emotion and drama of each scene.
This is a very human story sprinkled with just a little fairy dust. Showing at Bristol Old Vic Studio until 18th April, I recommend you take a look.
Reviewed by Sarah-Jane Howard for 365Bristol - the leading Bristol events and entertainment website.
4/5
Article by:
Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.
