Benjamin Wilson Archives - North West End UK

12Feb

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Macbeth – Hull Truck Theatre

Macbeth, aka The Scottish Play, got off to an explosive start on Tuesday evening, as part of its run at the Hull Truck Theatre. An insider informant - who I will call “Jay” for the purpose of this review - revealed to me pre-show that we theatregoers were in for a thrilling time. And, my goodness, “Jay” was absolutely right. The plain (but extremely effective) stage setting gave no hint of what was to come. The stage floor was level with the audience’s walkway and comprised mottled grey “stone” sections surrounding a drain cover. The backdrop consisted of misshapen doorways, an industrial staircase and a mezzanine revealing more doors. All dimly lit by overhead metal lamps. A large central opening was hung with wide plastic strips through which most of the action took place....

Of Mice and Men – Octagon Theatre

At one point over 90% of teenagers taking GCSE English Literature in UK schools studied ‘Of Mice and Men’ and many of the greying press night audience I spoke to had affection for the novel from their distant school days. However, Steinbeck’s moral fable of friendship and companionship has fallen out of favour in academia in recent years due to the overtly racist language, casual misogyny and portrayal of disability, so it was an interesting exercise to see how this stage production would translate to a more critical 21st-century environment. Increasingly in post-Covid regional theatre, we are seeing a movement towards co-productions as a way of mitigating risk and sharing costs, this production combines the resources of Octagon Bolton, Hull Truck, Theatre by the Lake and Derby Theatre ...

Of Mice And Men – Hull Truck Theatre

John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice And Men, very nearly never saw the light of day, as the first draft was eaten by his dog, Toby. Thankfully, the American writer persevered and since its first performance on Broadway in 1937, his work continues to entertain theatregoers around the world. On Thursday night I was privileged to watch a stellar cast of actors bring Of Mice And Men to life on the stage of the Hull Truck Theatre. This cosy theatre never fails to come up trumps where imaginative stage settings are concerned, and Thursday was no exception, thanks to set designer Jess Curtis (who also designed the costumes). There was no raised stage to speak of, just a small step-up at the rear. The floor comprised of wooden slats, as did the entire wall at the back which opened to rev...