Treasure Island
Photo: Mark Dawson Photography
Review by Martine Silkstone
The Exeter-based theatre group, Le Navet Bete (translated: The Daft Turnip), is currently at New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich with their…ahem…unique production of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.
What a show!
This is my second encounter with this touring company - I previously reviewed their King Arthur at Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds - and once again their performance has left me entertained, delighted and thinking: well, that just happened!
Because while the stories are certainly familiar, their treatment of the source material is irreverent, comedic and very much born of their own genius.
For example…
In this show, they have taken a well-known tale of pirates, maps and treasure, and added a large spoonful of panto, an ample dash of naughtiness, a soupçon of slapstick and just a hint of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’.
All of which combine to create something raw, hilarious, physical and subtly very clever.
Of course, all the classic characters are still there, including young Jim Hawkins (the brilliant Nick Bunt), Long John Silver (the brilliant Al Dunn), and Billy Bones (the brilliant Simon Sebastian Burbage who is also Captain Birdseye among others). Then you have the lovely-legged Matt Freeman playing a wealth of other roles including a totally bonkers Ben Gunn, a somewhat camp ship-hand of French extraction, a scantily clad game show assistant, and Silver’s smart-parrot, Alexa. Indeed, his strangely erotic portrayal of a mermaid-with-good politics-but-questionable-accent is worth the ticket price alone!
A supremely talented cast and they are having such fun on stage, and with the audience, that you can’t help but join in.
Throw in a gorilla and quick round of Play Your Cards Right and you have a must-see nautical adventure, my friend.
Photo: Mark Dawson Photography
And this is one for all the family. Yes, it is slightly risqué, in the way that panto is often slightly risqué - the ship is called The Jolly Todger for example - but as the old theory goes, any rude jokes will go straight over the heads of small children (and if they don’t, it’s too late to try and protect them because they already understand only too well).
On a side note, I did hear one woman explaining to their young daughter that ‘todger’ was slang for ‘willy’, so it is an educational experience too it seems.
Either way, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
These guys are masters of their craft - and that craft is both funny and wonderful.
A guaranteed great night out.
Note: Sadly, there was no programme for the show and that is my one and only complaint.
Treasure Island is at New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich until June 14.
FOR SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE