More news about ...		Review of Our Town by Roanne Insley
Written in the late 1930's, Our Town is still performed regularly - and it's clear why. It's a wonderful ensemble piece with some really cracking parts for a wide range of ages. The simplicity of the setting highlights beautifully the human dramas that are played out during the course of the three acts. The theme of the universality of human experience, through glimpses into the lives of the families and residents of Grover's Corners, will resonate for all time - as will the message of appreciating all the special moments, great (weddings) and small (the comfortable chats over preparing vegetables) as they are all too fleeting. This is the first production of Our Town that I had ever seen. Surprising that the Tower hasn't aired this show since 1956! Blimey! Interesting, too, how much I was reminded of Jim Cartwright's Road, which the Tower put on at the Bridewell only last November. In both plays there's the effective convention of an omniscient narrator who leads you through the events, introducing the characters and sharing their stories with you. Jim Cartwright clearly stole the idea (or "shared best practice" as we say at work) but in both plays it's used to brilliant effect - with the narrator being part of the action as required. Jo Green did a beautiful job of this in Our Town moving seamlessly between telling the story and being a key part of it. I felt much more at home with the universality of human experience as portrayed in Our Town than in Road, since preparing vegetables is more a part of my daily life than excessive drinking and casual sex. There was a lot to savour in this production. Wendy Parry's setting was delightful, with a simple stylized backdrop that looked like a quaint illustration from a children's book of the period. Sage Bowman's attractive costumes, with their appropriately muted colour palette really helped to set the mood of the show. The opening scene with the live music was a delightful surprise and got the evening off to an upbeat beginning. The subsequent unfolding of events was fittingly understated and well acted with some joyously funny moments, but there were also hints of the sadness that was to come - the peaks and troughs of most people's lives. Jo Green as the stage manager masterfully moved the action along and was supported with gusto by the cast. Kenzie Luce as Emily Webb and James Talbot as George Gibbs - the main romantic interest of the story - were very touching and did an excellent job of gently "growing up". The final act, when Emily dies from childbirth complications was truly poignant. It was a telling reminder of how far medical science has moved on since the early 1900s - as we learned that the graves occupied by residents of Grover's Corners had died from pneumonia and appendicitis - conditions that wouldn't necessarily be fatal in 2017. I particularly liked Alan Wilkinson's lighting in the last scene - it had an appropriately dreamlike quality and highlighted beautifully the thoughtfulness of the final act. I enjoyed all the performances, but particularly liked Owen Chidlaw as Howie Newsome (amongst other characters). His cheery and engaging appearances were very watchable. There were a (very) few things which jarred slightly. The miming of props and set was rather inconsistent. For example, George Gibbs was conscientious about miming opening doors (which is actually very difficult to do convincingly) but no one else on the cast seemed bothered with the whole door-opening thing - so it looked odd. And the strawberry soda scene where the glasses were mimed but the straws were real made you wonder if props had been accidentally left backstage rather than allowing you to concentrate on the excellent performances. I can't, of course, leave this review without mentioning the puppet character of Wally, lovingly crafted by my own son. In the end, however, we were both ambivalent about using a puppet in the context of this production. It felt a little half-hearted - and Wally could so easily have been played extremely well by Kieran Mason (who was puppeteer and voice), without the added mechanical manipulative challenges. However this was a minor gripe - and not everyone is as obsessed as we are with the puppetry arts. Overall, this was a charming and engaging production, well set, lit and performed. I hope it's not another 50 years before I get to see another performance of Our Town . Roanne Insley has been involved with the Tower Theatre Company for (cough) more than 30 years. The Insley family spend far too much time hanging round theatres. Photography by Lidia Crisafulli
		This story first published in Noises Off on February 28th 2017