Sense and Sensibility – Chapterhouse Theatre Company
By Jane Austen, adapted by Laura Turner
6/10
The well known tale by classic authoress Jane Austen was brought to Crosby, Merseyside, this weekend by Chapterhouse Theatre Company as part of the Sefton Celebrates Writing festival.
Generally Chapterhouse tour the country acting at outside venues and abroad. But this, their last but one in a 48-gig programme, was at Crosby Civic Hall to a minimal audience, and sparse props.
Whether these factors influenced the performance, who knows, but the lack of scenery and ambience in the sprinkling of punters, certainly did not help. Lack of publicity might also have played a part
The players did their best, acting out well-known lines taken from Austen’s own words, but the pace was sluggish, the costumes creased and the performances mixed.
The story was well adapted and all the significant cameos were present. The eight-strong cast worked hard, but one felt they might be a tad tired and underwhelmed by the lack of audience.
One of the stars who did shine was LIPA graduate Orla Mullan as Fanny Dashwood/Lady Middleton/ Charlotte Palmer and Miss Grey. Playing the varying roles – as many of the cast did – she emphasised each part with its appropriate characteristics. But it was as Fanny the overbearing matriarch who persuades her husband to practically evict his mother and half sisters to a small cottage, that she shines. Orla commands the stage and bustles around with great presence and humour.
The youngest sister, Margaret Dashwood (Nicky Diss), is irrepressible, bringing a bright and breezy exuberance with her youthful excitement to the whole proceedings brightening up what, at times, were rather dullish scenes.
Marianne Dashwood, the middle sister, played by Heather Mason showed great light and shade in her love for the dashing Mr Willoughby (Simon Kent), and dramatic sorrow when her love is refuted.
The older sister, Elinor Dashwood, (Cassandra Hughes) is appropriately sensible – the one with sense as in the title, against Marianne’s sensibility, who follows her heart rather than her head But Cassandra seems just too sensible, never seeming to smile, and giving the impression that she is downright miserable and bored with the whole proceedings, though showing caring concern for her distraught younger sibling.
Marcus Houden plays several parts, the boisterous John Middleton, a singer and a servant. He more than made his mark as the squire and as a servant gave us much mirth moonlighting as a scene shifter, moving chairs here and there between the vignettes.
One highlight of the show was the beautiful singing by several members of the cast, especially Orla Mullan. Traditional airs from the period were interspersed amongst the action and were pure delight.
But, although the play, directed by Rebecca Gadsby, was faithful to the book, and gave us the full story of the Dashwoods, their friends and acquaintances, we were left with the feeling that had this been an open-air performance, sitting in some sunny glade, it would have been so much more enjoyable than in a bare hall on a cold night.
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