Somewhere along the line the annual open-air presentation by Lancaster’s Dukes Theatre in the city’s beautiful Williamson Park has metamorphosised from being a “promenade” production into a “walkabout”.
The dumbing down of its title is probably designed to distinguish its grand design from the growing number of annoyingly static companies doing the rounds - and does, in fact, better suit the up hill and down dales approach director Joe Sumsion has adopted with writer Kevin Dyer’s very accessible adaptation of the Greek myth.
Taking his cue as much from the children’s television series Lazytown as the poet Apollonius’ tales, this version sees Jason’s colourful crew joined by one Testicles in the first of several nudge, nudge, pantomime nods.
It’s a good way of luring all ages into a potentially difficult subject - the oral tradition of story-telling didn’t actually have to create the clashing rocks, deadly Sirens, flying Harpies and bloodthirsty Bulls. Designer Alison Heffernan does.
All right, the fabled Golden Fleece looks a little too like a basic sheepskin rug, but Chris Jack’s athletic and believable Jason wins hearts and minds, enthusiastically leading his fast diminishing crew through the lake, monument and dells of the park.
Likewise, Noel White’s nice but dim Heracles soon convinces that he really does boast superhuman strength beneath his bright blue tunic.
Experienced “walkabout” hand Lisa Howard brings more than a touch of Northern Broadsides to her Medea and, like the rest of the multi-tasking cast, benefits greatly from Dyer’s commanding use of dialogue and dialect.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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