The Stage

Journey to the River Sea

Published Monday 20 February 2006 at 11:10 by Susan Elkin

In this dazzling all-singing all-dancing show Rosamunde Hutt fully exploits the Weston Theatre’s good acoustic and generous circular playing space.

Based on Eva Ibbotson’s award-winning novel, Carl Miller’s imaginative adaptation tells the story of a twenties orphan Maia - Lucy Rivers - sent to live with horrible ex-pat cousins in the Amazon. First she leaves England, then there is the voyage and arrival at the Carters who are taking her in only because there is money in it. The action takes us to the opera in the local town and through Maia’s discovery of the jungle and there is a strong sub-plot involving the son of a now-dead British resident who married a local girl. Nifty doubling up is required for all this and the production brings it off beautifully.

The cast is outstandingly strong and versatile. Rivers makes Maia into a common sensible romantic with a beautiful singing voice. William Elliot as the ham actor Goodley, Furo and the Professor running a local museum makes good use of accents. So does John Cockerill who gives us a vulnerable junior actor from Yorkshire as well as the hygiene-obsessed Mrs Carter. Sam Adams and Donnaleigh Bailey are a powerful and funny duo both as a version of Cinderalla’s ugly sisters and as a pair of private detectives. Julie Hewlett is impressive as the corseted governess who turns out to be much more human than first impressions suggest.

It is a very musical show. The fine singing, some of it in harmony, has a strong folk bias. Some witty patter numbers add to the variety. Both Rivers and Liam Lane play violin on stage and David Smith accompanies on guitar. The several dance sequences pack theatrical punch too.