The Caucasian Chalk Circle

USER: UK Theatre Web (25Apr01): Its Clear To see why The Chester Gateway Theatre has 200 Youth Theatre Members And an additional 400 on their waiting list, for how many Youth Theatre Groups Can Boast Putting on a main stage production with a complete professional production crew. Not a usual Youth Theatre Production of Cheese and Mush as you migt expect but a complete Thought Provoking piece. Set in the aftermath of a Bomb Jim Davies Multi Layered Scafolding Set brings vividly the effects of war in a refugee Town, & with an excellent Lighting Design By Chris Skinner the Audience are left awe inspired from begining to end, yes it is a monster of a performance the best part of three hours, but by fantastic direction From Dinos Aristidou & Russ Tunney (Head of Education & Access at the theatre) Pace and story do not lapse to the boring. If you are not aware of the play, it is actually 3 stories the 1st being a fight over land from one set of villagers to another. the 2nd is a story of a Kitchen maid(Grusha) played with fantastic clarity and charcterisation by Natalie McKerrigan, who during a war takes a baby under her care after he is left by the self Obsessed Governers wife (played with real style and sheer evilness by Caroline Creaghead) the story then follows her plight through four years of her struggling to survive and look after Micheal the kidnapped child. the 3rd stroy is that of azdak the drunken village clerk who by accident is made judge by the towns soldiers, and eventually decides the fate of the stolen child, by creating the test of the chalk circle. for me the second half of the play was the pinacle of the show, being driven with lightning pace and sheer clarity (probably for the 1st time i actually understand what azdak talks about) was in this production brought to life by a young actor John Roberts, his characterisation of the village idiot brought comic and tragic emotions right in the audiences faces. through out the show Original music Composed by Phillip Bell brought an erie back drop to a very thought provoking piece, both Natalie mcKerrigan & John Roberts performed their solo songs with complete professionalism, as believe me Phillips Songs would be hard for an professional actor/singer. Other Performances that stood out were Greg Smith playing duel roles of Yussup & The Corperal. Duncan Scamell As the Comic & Hughley Funny Monk and Andrew Riddell As Shavua Adzaks Public Proscecutor, playing him very simple with a fantastically real dudley accent. This is a youth Theatre that deserves complete Praise & Admiration Probably being one of the best if not the best Youth Theatre Production i have seen. every single cast member should be very pleased with the fantastic production the audience saw and a sincere thank you goes to the production team & Directors for a fantastic nights worth of entertainment. Many people do not go to youth theatre productions for one reason "Youth" do not be mistaken your missing out on a fantastic event, the Gateway Youth Theatre is one to watch out for and to go and see Kevin Beaumont April 2001