It’s a Wonderful Life – Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio

I was glad to see how busy it was in the Studio for this production. Sometimes one feels slightly exposed and as though they should fear the worst sitting in a sparsely filled audience.

Old Fruit Jar Productions is beginning to build up a solid reputation for bringing trustworthy and impactful theatre to the local area and I must say they continue that trend with this staging of It’s a Wonderful Life.

Firstly, if you have yet to feel Christmassy then seeing a show like this will at once change that. The wholesome and honest story is a classic for a reason, that said, a classic on screen and so I was curious to see what it could be on stage.

Due to the small space, they had to be economical and efficient with set and frills; not even the most high-tech theatres can jump from an office to a bar to a river in one sweep. What I liked most about this production was that it was light-hearted and gutsy rather than preachy to the history and legacy of the tale. If anything, the cast had to work hard to make us believe in them and their relationships, especially in such an intimate setting.

George Bailey, played by Robbie Fletcher-Hill, was the key to this. His originality and sense of fluidity breathed new life into this heavily told tale. The same can be said of Jordan Barkley, who was extremely well cast as Clarence, and who managed to bring a needed humanity to such a supernatural element of the story, indeed what made it seem impossible to put on stage.

Comic timing was another huge tick and Sean Redford as Bert was a clear standout for his suppleness and integrity that brought a whole new level to the copper part. At points though, I felt that Americanisms could be worked on as effectiveness of accents differed through the cast. But overall, it was a slick performance and a joyous watch.

The use of song was a particular highlight for me amongst other audience members as it upped the atmosphere and brought us into the world. Florence King as Mary Bailey was particularly stunning in vocals and took the whole room with her as she sang.

Alex Carr managed to make clever directorial choices with set that added to the effectiveness as a production, together with the large number of cast members who collaborated fantastically in such a small space.

It is no simple task to stage a story of this kind for all sorts of reasons and Old Fruit Jar seem to take that challenge head-on, making it look seamless and professional.

This production runs at the Royal Court Studio until Saturday 30th November before it transfers to the magical St George’s Hall from Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th December.

Reviewer: Hannah Esnouf

Reviewed: 20th November 2024

North West End UK Rating: