June 13, 2025 · 12:46 pm
PHYSICAL, PIRATICAL, PLAYFUL
All aboard the Jolly Todger, the place Long John Silver’s parrot Alexa (she comes from the Amazon, get it?) retains by accident ordering undesirable Chinese lanterns. But she comes into her personal when she flies down and picks up the second treasure map on Skeleton Island.
There’s one thing comfortingly British in Le Navet Bête’s four-man combination of cleverness, sharp timing and clowning ridiculousness, because it cavorts disrespectfully spherical a traditional nationwide treasure for 2 hours. There’s sufficient of Robert Louis Stevenson’s unique for the viewers to spend the interval fortunately doing “Aharrrr Jim Lad!” at each other, nevertheless it veers off fortunately in lots of instructions, teasing the entrance row panto-style and even at one level lurching into vaudeville crosstalk about three sailors known as Who, Why, and I-dont-know.
So we get the Admiral Benbow pub, and see Blind Pew ship the dread Black Spot to Billy Bones, however then hit a dockside model of Play Your Cards Right with Matt Freeman in tight lurex as the beautiful assistant. Bald lanky Freeman’s style for wriggling , pouting drag and camp is confirmed additional as a fabulously flapping mermaid who talks fluent whale, a sailor in a cropped Gaultier T-shirt or – within the actually shakingly humorous second act – an Australian model of marooned Ben Gunn, in a single flip flop and one wellie whereas his tame gorilla puppeteers his imaginary spouse manufactured from coconut-shells and raffia.
The navêteers are a longtime troupe, typically surfacing round Christmas and vacation occasions with something from this to King Arthur or Dracula. John Nicholson writes and directs, Fi Riussell’s set and Matt Freeman’s costumes are lovingly detailed (the wigs alone are price it, from Billly Bones’ alarming rat-tails to the candy-striped mermaid and no matter that’s Ben Gunn has on his head). There are sufficient self-aware fake-mistakes to awaken the viewers to precise cheers – bodily comedians should find yourself with loads of bruises. Al Dunn’s Long John Silver develops a pleasant line in weary sarcasm about all of it. And earlier than the finale turns into a refrain from Cheers and a blast of “In the Navy!” in tighty whitey shorts, there’s a viciously humorous joke about “the journey” for our hippyish age. They deserve all of the hysteria they acquired.
New Wolsey to 14 June
then touring to five Oct – Oxford, Wakefield, Exeter,Minack, Salisbury, Barnstaple
score 4
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