The Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
Fri 2 and Sat 3 Oct
Gulliver’s Travels, a classic of English literature that has never been out of print, has been given a dramatic makeover almost 300 years after it was first published. Written by Jonathon Swift, the novel is a satire on human nature presented through the travels of the eccentric Dr Gulliver. Despite its age, Swift’s work is still refreshing and relevant and no less so in its latest theatrical form.
Upcoming local playwright Kit Lambert has achieved critical acclaim for his recent works such as The Custom House and Incidental, and he has teamed up with talented director, Louise Osborn, and composer, James Williams, for his latest work. Lambert uses Swift’s fantastic characters (from mad scientists and Lilliputians to giants and talking horses), but his play also presents an ingeniously original focal point: the relationship between Dr Gulliver and his creator Swift. Gulliver has already graced the sets of Doctor Who and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and here he embarks upon a whimsical journey through Swift’s imagination, leading the writer away from the woman that loves him in an idiosyncratic tale of torment and mystery.
Touring Wales and England from the 29 Sep to the 12 Dec, the play aims to ‘capture the humour and darkness of a man struggling to survive in an absurd world’. An ambitious project; however, in Lambert’s creative and capable hands, it is definitely worth a look.
Info: 029 2030 0331 / www.hijinx.org.uk (JW)