Catherine Bennett resumes the weekly look at the performing arts world, with the sad end of Jerusalem, the luck of a cabbie, and French revolt. Do you hear the people sing?
Adam Alcock reviews Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and his own Four Elements at York Opera House.
Catherine Bennett highlights the trends in the performing arts world today.
Jonathan Cridford reviews 'Ghosts', one of the Freshers' plays for this year.
An American pilot crash-lands in a foreign and alien country. His fate is to be decided by the local villagers. In fairness there was always going to be some kind of political element to this play.
Indeed, some elements could be seen as a simple attack on America’s policy of consistent meddling. We learn that the country he landed in has been torn apart by conflict ever since an America-sponsored government replaced the previous Marxist-Leninist administration. We are told that several of the main protagonists, including The Captain and The Translator, lost loved ones due to an “American missile”. This again references another foreign policy evil – that of arms dealing.
But those looking for a good evening of American bashing should look further afield. This play goes much deeper than that.
The first half in particular introduces a number of opposites. The 'ant' (the country in which the pilot has crashed) and the 'elephant' (America) switch roles as the pilot becomes the 'ant' and those who hold him become the 'elephant'. Likewise, when plans are hatched to murder the pilot on video, The Captain voices his protestations; he is a soldier, not a terrorist. He eventually sticks to his guns as he is unable to murder an unarmed man.
The Captain is one of the many interesting and deep characters in the play. At first he appears dictatorial and aggressive, but he is shown to be honourable, even if his honour is in places misguided. This complex character is well portrayed by the excellent Sam Hinton. Likewise, Eoin Connolly's pilot - at first almost stereotypically American, with a faith in “his men” which almost costs him his life - is shown to be more than just a 'Captain America' figure. His wonderfully portrayed relationship with Evie (Cat Smith) demonstrates the multifaceted nature of the protagonist's character.
The Translator (Ed Duncan Smith) lacks the honour of The Captain, as he suggests the killing but is unwilling to do it himself. Nevertheless, he is still not a clear-cut villain and again the character is acted superbly. Perhaps the play's most likeable characters are the Farmer (Mark Smith) and his daughter Evie. The warmth between the pair was evident, and they portrayed the father-daughter relationship wonderfully.
Evie’s faith in the American, and her unwillingness to accept The Captain’s insistence on hurting him is heart-warming throughout. Smith’s performance of this kind and innocent woman, alongside Hinton's, provided a highlight of the show. However, all of the aforementioned characters, as well as the under-used Sarah (Rebekah Brazier) and the sly and treacherous Trader (Susie Murray), gave exceptional performances in a highly developed play.
A small criticism would be that, in the minutes preceeding the finale, it perhaps felt that a bit much happened too soon, but that is indeed only a small criticism. If the superb acting and character development wasn’t enough to entertain the packed Drama Barn, then the visually spectacular and ultimately tragic final minute certainly did. All in all a superb performance, and well worth a visit to the Drama Barn this weekend.
The American Pilot is showing week 6 this weekend in the Drama Barn. Doors open at 7.30 and tickets are available on the door. Arrive early to avoid disappointment.
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