REVIEWS

Reviewed Today: The Old Curiosity Shop in the Gate, Cinderella in the Gaiety

The Old Curiosity Shop, Gate Theatre, Dublin

It is a curious kind of moralist that punishes the virtuous, but Charles Dickens was resolutely Victorian in his approach to social critique and always refused his readers the happy endings that they wished for.

The Old Curiosity Shop, originally presented as a serial in his weekly publication, Master Humphrey's Clock, provoked the greatest outrage among his loyal fans, and "the tragedy of little Nell" makes for bleak reading even today.

Alan Stanford's stage adaptation of the novel remains thoroughly Dickensian in tone as well as structure. Where the novel begins with the framing device of a narrator, Stanford presents us with Mrs Jarley, a theatre madam and magician of sorts, who acts as our guide through 19th-century London and its impoverished surrounds. Her direct addresses to the audience allow Dickens's vivid descriptions of the characters and settings to permeate the play.

Unfortunately, this provides the other multi-role-playing actors with the challenge of embodying characters that are established more as cartoon cut-outs or paper dolls or, as Jarley introduces them, waxwork figurines.

Eileen Diss's clever Victorian paper-theatre design (complete with Paul Keogan's deceptive footlighting) merely compounds the sense of one-dimensionality. There are stand-out scenes, most notably the ones that use stylised movement to present the arresting imagery of the city's anonymity or crowds of indigents in England's industrial north. However, while Stanford is clearly aiming to capture the didactic intentions of Dickens's social critique, the effect, perhaps inevitably, remains somewhat flat.

Barbara Brennan makes for an authoritative but compassionate hostess, and there are memorable comic characterisations, including the double-act lawyers of Garland and Witherden (played by Mal Whyte and Michael James Ford), Stephen Swift's Dick Swiveller and Jill Murphy's charming Marchioness. In the more serious roles, meanwhile, Maude Fahy and Michael Winder as Nell and her loyal friend, Kit, make the most of the crude paragons of virtue that Dickens's characterisation offers.

It should come as no surprise, however, that it is the iniquitous Quilp, played with grubby glee by Mark O'Regan, who captures our imagination most vividly. If virtue is not always rewarded in Dickens's world, then surely it is only natural that such entertaining villainy should become more appealing? Until Jan 31. SARA KEATING

Cinderella, Gaiety Theatre, Dublin

When in the opening scene, the fairy godmother was lowered on to the stage from her silvery moon, making reference to spells that had gone wrong (Biffo's Botox lips, for example) and how Cinderella lived in a village called Drumcondra, we knew we were in for something different at this year's traditional pantomime at the Gaiety.

Sometimes, pantomimes can roll along on the energy of the storyline, coupled with good dancing routines, well-chosen pop songs, special effects and even a boy-band (this element seems to have gone right out of fashion), but director Carole Todd and producer John Costigan obviously believe this year's tumultuous year in Irish politics calls for a particular wit.

And so, throughout the show, Cinderella (You're A Star winner Leanne Moore in her first panto role) is writing a romantic novel while her poor put-upon father, Baron Bertie Hardup (superbly played by Donagh Deeney) struggles to understand what he ever did wrong.

If that wasn't enough, we also have excellent distraction from our financial woes from the two ugly sisters, Avarice (John Lovett) and Slaverous (Ciaran Bermingham), whose constant outfit changes could only be a reference to the excesses of the Celtic Tiger.

My quibbles about the lack of charisma of Maria McDermottroe's fairy godmother's or the less than charming Prince (Shane O'Reilly) might seem a bit uncharitable after that.

The clever political innuendos, and in particular the excellent lines given to Baron Bertie by scriptwriters Gary Cooke (of RTÉ's Après Match fame) and Malachy McKenna was the highlight of the show for the adults.

For the children, the most memorable moments were the glamorous masked ball, at which Cinderella arrives in her bejewelled carriage drawn by real ponies, the medley of songs from the hit show, Mamma Mia!, and of course the antics of Buttons (Richie Hayes). Hayes is a natural pantomime star who keeps the audience involved from beginning to end.

All in all, Cinderella confirms the high production values we expect from the team at the Gaiety, but I've a feeling that it might be the adults who will be bringing the children this year rather than the other way round. Until Feb 1. SYLVIA THOMPSON