Moby Dick
*****
Newport Transporter Bridge, Fri 4 Oct
There were traders selling chickens, rum and coffins on the quayside. A young miss in a dirty dress badgered passersby to ‘pick a card’. It could have been the 1800s but this scene took place on Newport transporter bridge last Thursday.
Three years in the making and Tin Shed Theatre Co. have finally been able to showcase their adaptation of Herman Melville’s classic novel. I wondered why the company had chosen to perform on a dark chilly night in October rather than a warm light evening in August but once aboard the Pequod the reason became abundantly clear. Moby Dick is a tale of vengeance and death; sitting on the gondola with the wind in our hair and the chill in our bones created an authentic atmosphere and made the audience part of the show. The cast delivered scenes that were physically and emotionally intense, lightened only by the humour of Stubbs (played by Bongo Pete). Jonathan Hawkins and Connor Allen were perfectly in sync as Ishmael and Queequeg, while Justin Cliffe excelled as the boom-voiced Starbuck. Jared Morgan (who recently played Marquis in The Nun) gave an understated performance as Captain Ahab. The bridge is well-respected and incorporated into the set.
Tin Shed like to push the boundaries of storytelling by putting on shows in unusual places and for non-traditional audiences. The evening started with a reception at the recently restored Waterloo Hotel and an introduction to the play, which honoured the bridge’s history. Apart from knowing the basic story, the audience were escorted to the venue not knowing what to expect. This, and the fact that everything takes place out in the open, meant there was no sitting comfortably in your seats: Ishmael’s voyage across the stormy ocean became your voyage, Captain Ahab’s determination to find the great white whale became your ambition and when Queequeg was taken by the fever you felt for his shipmates.
The play was funded by Heritage Lottery, Arts Council Wales, and a host of other supporters. Tickets were free and snapped up swiftly, and accessible performances were staged for the visually and physically impaired. Tin Shed worked with local amateur and professional actors as well as Pillgwenlly residents to put on a superbly acted and produced piece of theatre with an extraordinary set. This was one outdoor event where rain would definitely not stop play.
words Lynda Nash
Moby Dick plays at Newport Transporter Bridge until Tue 16 Oct. Tickets: free. Info: www.tinshedtheatrecompany.com