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Amateur Theatre Reviews |
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Bold Nelson's PraiseBy Dave and Tim Arthur Only a couple of weeks after the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, the Egg Theatre Academy are presenting a Derby Playhouse Community Theatre production about the final hours of one of the finest naval commanders ever. But there's nothing politically correct about this adventure on the high seas from father and son writing team Dave and Tim Arthur. It's a realistic, moving and sometimes shocking account of the difficulties and dangers of life in the early 1800s.It's a tale about the horrors of war. It's also a story of how love can survive despite seemingly insurmountable problems. Members of the Academy have been rehearsing Bold Nelson's Praise for the past six months. They've come up with a show that's got more polish than the decks on HMS Victory. Sixty actors with a varying range of experience show total commitment in this production. There are several veterans of the Derby amateur stage scene and also a number of newcomers who aren't phased by appearing in front of a large audience. Tim Arthur, who also directs, brings out their talents and coaxes them into performances which in many cases are extremely impressive. Bold Nelson's Praise shows how a small community near Portsmouth is devastated when some of its inhabitants are press-ganged into the navy on the eve of Jack Grainger's wedding and end up on the Victory. His fiancée Kate dresses as a boy and enlists so that she can be near him. The finest scenes are the boozy ones in the White Hart pub which involve most of the cast; the giggly girls' helping Kate to prepare for her wedding; the actual battle in which so many sailors lost their lives; and the upsetting yet cleverly staged asylum where Kate is taken after seeing Jack wounded. Occasionally the action doesn't flow particularly well; you get a feeling that certain lines have been included to ensure all the actors can make a contribution. And some of the folk songs sound too much of a dirge and seem to be included merely as fillers. Overall, though, every one of the actors deserves praise for a cracking production. "Bold Nelson's Praise" continues until Saturday
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