Mrs Gaskell’s cherished tale of Cranford and its bonneted ladies is treated with affectionate satire and agreeable sentiment in a brand new production from the Chapterhouse company. The cast of Cranford is also playing The Taming of the Shrew at other outdoor venues.
There is much walking to be done on Cranford’s streets so the actors have a wide stage with a couple of foot bridges. Two cottages, each the size of a Wendy house, enable four faces to stare out of windows and remark on the quite shocking goings-on - “He has his hand on her waist - dear me.” York’s nightlife is a world away.
The staging will look good in any outdoor location and frocks and bonnets will always charm. As the evening lights fade and rugs are pulled tighter, the characters matter, their schemes and hopes grip, their embarrassments are enjoyed. The plot line involving a puppet dog can be excused, if you share this reviewer’s tastes.
Laura Turner’s adaptation is constrained by time and scope but it is not too wide of the mark. The restrained playing of the luckless Miss Matty by Kirsty Cox perfectly suits the character.
Grace K Miller’s Miss Pole, the chief busybody, sets the tone with her withering comments, and her companions respond as they should. Physical reactions are less well expressed.
Altogether a fine team effort from a constantly busy cast. Caroline Hallam plays four characters and is a solo musician but she never looks ruffled. On colder nights she will be thankful for the exercise.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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