The Rime of The Ancient Mariner
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Cornwall Youth Theatre Company
The Keay
Directed by Rory Wilton, this re-working of David Hunter’s adaptation of Coleridge’s most famous poems with such young actors was brave and bold. With a fashionably minimal set, the story revolves around the poet’s marital problems and his addiction to laudanum. Coleridge’s drug dependency allowed the cast to don a wonderful variety of fantasy costumes depicting marriage, life and death. Catherine Leach played a delightful, but doomed, albatross as she danced around the set. Richard Higgins held the singing together as a fine shanty leader as well as a member of the crew and a credible Mr. Porlock. Frank Sparrow was brilliant in his portrayal of the drug riddled genius that was Coleridge and Abee Hague was a strong foil in her take on his beleaguered wife, Sarah. Praise too for Andy Walsh and Andy Williams who were both excellent as the Ancient and the Young Mariner respectively.
The rest of the cast held their own and played the physical parts very well, but I wonder if they were listening when advised to ‘project their voices’, as some of them spoke too quietly and too quickly for much of their dialogue to be heard and understood. That said, the performance at the Keay was the opening night of the tour, so no doubt a few nerves came to the fore. Rime works well as both a visual feast and an entertaining piece of work by CYTC, you can support them at their next performance on March 15th at Newquay’s Tretherras School.
Sheila Vanloo
March 2010