'Feathers in the Snow' review or 'Popping candy and a strong shot of gin.'
'Feathers
in the Snow', Philip Ridley
Southwark
Playhouse, Thursday 13th December 2012
Even
Philip Ridley is loosening up – it must be Christmas! 'Feathers in
the Snow' certainly has its dark moments; endless wars, deaths and
even the rise of the nuclear bomb are smuggled into this family show.
But there's also a giddy gloss to everything. It feels like Ridley
wrote this feisty piece whilst munching on popping candy and
delicately sipping on gin.
It's
obvious Ridley had fun writing 'Feathers' and that feeling is
infectious. The cast – all plucked from a youth group – looks
like they're having a blast. They've been handed quite the pic n mix
here: gleefully overblown characters, twisted little nursery rhymes,
juvenile and joyful songs and fierce blasts of dialogue.
There
are no stock panto dames here but, instead, three cross-dressing,
clucking washer women. There are no heroes but boastful, brawny men.
And even innocent little Lela – at the heart of our tale – has a
vicious temper and a cruel tongue. There's a touch of Roald Dahl to
this fantastical piece, anchored by dark and convincing details.
The
show is brazenly ambitious, as young Lela and her so-called pals seek
out a new Kingdom, following a blazingly destructive war. The
narrators of the tale switch restlessly, the tone and colour of the
piece jumping about like a hyper kid. Ridley revels in the shakiness
of his – of any – narrative.
The
cast constantly mingles with the audience, mumbling their dissent,
winking and jostling us. There's a loose, slapdash feel to the whole
show, which recalls the spirit of panto as well as that of a kids'
nativity play. The set is wilfully shoddy. Cast members hold token
props, lumbered with representing vast and foreign landscapes.
There's a delicious air of improv to the whole piece, as if it might
fall apart at any second.
It's
a fitting finale for Southwark playhouse; a venue that has never
apologised for its limitations but, instead, imaginatively
incorporated them. Ridley and this venue (which will be moving
location next year) have a lot in common: integrity, intelligence and
an absolute refusal to patronise their audience. Long may they both
reign.
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