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…This was a sensitively cut version.Sufficient original elements were added to update the humour without loss of the authentic flavour. Some of these, like the female predominance and the wedding on roller skates, didn't quite come off; but they didn't grate either. Others, like the mass intonation of 'renowned for grave citizens' at every mention of Pisa and the gloriously drunk Endel Lust from the local pub, were a riot. As usual, I came away marvelling at Thompson's ability to draw so much from every exchange, retain a very clear conception of the mood and direction of the entire play, and yet still leave the actors to convey the feeling that they were fresh and in sole charge…. If Mervyn Thompson did not prove thhat the James Hay Theatre is a viable proposition for low-budget shows, he certainly established its compatability with a relatively intimate style. The whole of the performance was played on that part of the forestage that all producitons there have used for looking over. A few days after The Shrew closed, Mervyn Thompson's threats of deserting the Chrischurch stage became fact: he announced his appointment, from January 1975, as full-time director of Downstage. There have been few memorable productions in Christchurch theatre of the last 8 years that have not borne Proc Thompson's mark. … we in Christchurch must now reluctantly resign ourselves to a greater proportion of productions that fail to rise above the mediocre. |
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