Full reviews

Hard Times

Croydon Advertiser - Diana Eccleston

The Stage - Liz Aratoon

Icon Theatre combines puppetry, Angeline Ferguson’s effective film projection and original music by Christopher Warner with some fine acting and physical theatre to portray Dickens’ classic novel.

As bleak as anything found in a modern day soap, with addiction, loveless marriage, a frame-up and death as a few of the themes, it could just as easily been titled Unhappy Times. But it is told in the most inventive and absorbing manner.

With just three actors - Tom Peters, Raewyn Lippert and James Hyland - Icon has achieved something remarkable. Although they all take on a minimum of three roles - making each distinct in manner and voice - it is perhaps Peters whose transition between pompous Gradgrind, dissolute Tom and hapless Stephen Blackpool, is the most convincing.

But Lippert is convincing as Louisa and makes a rather gorgeous circus acrobat, while Hyland is persuasive as the oily Harthouse but slightly over-cooks Bounderby’s bluster.

A few simple props easily suggest the changing scenes, one of the most effective being the opening sequence in a Victorian circus, replete with human cannonball, horses, sequins and strongman. But director Nancy Hirst, the cast and designer Lucille Acevedo-Jones have brought the whole sorry story to life with some lovely touches, giving it an almost filmic quality. This is most evident in the cleverly choreographed depiction of Tom’s heavy gambling losses, which has the other-worldliness of a dream sequence.

With many people currently experiencing their own hard times, the audience was not packed, but this is a theatrical treat and well worth a slide into the red.

News Shopper - Kerry Ann Eustice

Icon Theatre's adaptation of Hard Times is must-see credit-crunch theatre

Icon Theatre’s take on Charles Dickens’ Hard Times is an inventive adaptation which excellently presents the emotional struggles of its central characters, writes Kerry Ann Eustice.

Touching a little, but less than the novel, on the plight of undervalued workers, it explores the constraints in Victorian society which prevent the privileged from leading fulfilling lives.

Deserted by her circus-worker father at just 11, Sissy is taken in to the care of hardened schoolmaster, Mr Gradgrind, who raises his own children to ignore fancies and passions in favour of fact and calculation.

Not that this prevents both from reaching adulthood miserable — Louisa married to a thunderous banker, 30 years her senior, and her brother, Tom, a gambling drunk.

Just as some of Dickens’ characters had to rely on so little, the cannily-timed production — which gains extra resonance arriving during the economic downturn — is low key, with sparse sets, few props and simple lighting design.

Yet it is still rich with meaning and startling visuals which include puppetry and smart physical sequences. The final scene is the one you’ll tell your friends about for its skill, smarts and slick execution. There’s an excellent gambling montage – realised through physical experimentation - too.

It’s a credit to the excellent cast of just three, who seamlessly switch between multiple, well-crafted characters (James Hyland going from sleazy to charming with ease and conviction) and theatrical disciplines.

Bleak but brilliant, Hard Times will mesmerise with its impeccably-acted, creative storytelling which successfully blends hard drama and physical theatre. It’s worth every carefully-counted penny.

Lucy Rix - Worcester News

'Innovation makes Gradgrind such a delight
Thomas Gradgrind in Dickens' Hard Times is a man with no time for poetry, theatre or other creative pursuits. What would he have felt about Icon Theatre's physical and untraditional production of Gradgrind, I wonder? Three actors tell the story of Thomas Gradgrind (played impressively by Tom Peters), a man concerned mainly with facts and learning rather than emotions.

'The actors play several characters each, swapping seamlessly between. It is innovative in its use of mime, physical action and puppetry. Icon Theatre here shows us how important our imaginations are in creating and responding to theatre.'

The Canterbury Tales

'Most of us can remember wrestling with Chaucer at school, where the Canterbury Tales were endured rather more than enjoyed. How different then to the Icon Theatre Company's production at the Under Ground Theatre - a highly original interpretation of five of Chaucer's pilgrim's tales which was bold, inventive, funny and immensely absorbing. Here was Chaucer at his rude and bawdy best in The Miller's and Merchant's Tales, witty and sharply perceptive in The Pardoner's and Friar's Tales and hauntingly austere in the Second Nun's Tale of St Cecilia. A clever set served for all five tales, the versatility of the wooden structure combining with imaginative lighting to provide all that was necessary on stage. Each tale was introduced by original music composed and arranged by Richard Cross in a medieval style, with the narrative carried through song. Indeed, throughout the action good use was made of music - much of it contemporary, including surprises such as the Pink Panther theme - and sound effects. The Pardoner's Tale was performed exclusively in mime and the masks Icon used in this and other tales were frighteningly surreal. This was a very visual and physical piece through and the cast of three didn't let the pace falter for a second. Their many costume changes were imaginative, their energy astonishing and their ability to convey so much using so little gave the play its strength. Congratulations to the cast, director Nancy Hirst and the production team for creating such an innovative and hugely enjoyable piece, greatly appreciated by the near capacity audience and typical of the kind of drama for which the Under Ground Theatre is rapidly becoming renowned.'

- Annette Kean, Herald (Eastbourne)

'Young, hungry actors putting their heart and soul into a work of their own creation with a minimalist set and only their own array of talents to sustain the interest - theatre for purists. In these days of multi-million dollar Disney spin-offs it is a joy to see a company like Icon Theatre remind us that people make theatre and that young performers who can act, sing, dance, tumble and mime are as exciting as the most spectacular pyrotechnics. Yasmin Gurreeboo, Philip Oakland and Patrick Taggart brought five of Chaucer's Tales vividly to life in a variety of theatrical styles on Friday and Saturday. May they tour and prosper... but stay hungry.'

- Steve Evans, Evesham Journal

'As a relative newcomer to Gloucestershire I had three pleasant surprises when I went to see Icon Theatre Company's dramatisation of five of The Canterbury Tales. First was the small by very functional Brewery Arts stage and auditorium, with its intimate relationship between actors and a large, enthusiastic audience. The second surprise was how well these five adaptations came across and the third was the high standard of acting and production. Icon Theatre set itself an ambitious task with just one female and two male actors doubling and trebling up parts. The roles also demand lots of energetic movement and stimulated sexual writhing. With the acting area overwhelmed by a large shed, space was restricted although the actors coped well. The vulgar Miller's Tale was played with suitable gusto. In contrast, the Pardoner's Tale was acted in mime and after the Friar's and the Merchant's Tale this rewarding evening ended on a sombre note with the Second Nun's Tale - the tragic story of Saint Cecilia. These players were great in tragedy or comedy. The three young and talented actors deserve much praise. Yasmin Gurreeboo, Philip Oakland and Patrick Taggart never lagged. Nancy Hirst's ingenious staging also impressed and Richard Cross' musical interludes created just the right ambience.'

- Donald Hollins, Gloucestershire Echo

'The Canterbury Tales - Chaucer's collection of tales, told by a group of travelling pilgrims, have enjoyed something of a Renaissance recently, with the BBC screening a modern adaptation. The timeless stories, variously tragic, comic, bawdy and tender, have always been a stalwart for A level English students, and judging by the audience at Icon Theatre's production at the Arc Theatre in Trowbridge on Friday, plenty of students had seized the opportunity to see five of Chaucer's tales acted out. A cast of three, Yasmin Gurreeboo, Philip Oakland and Patrick Taggart, tackled five of the stories, stirring mime and mask into the performance mix. They began with the Miller's tale, a comic and earthly tale of elderly lust, betrayal, and flatulence, then mimed the Pardoner's Tale, an examination of greed and selfishness where the villains receive their just come-uppance. They moved onto the Merchant's and Friar's Tale, concluding with the Second Nun's tale, a strange account of the life and death of the visionary St Cecilia. The acting was energetic and the comic tales were perhaps the most successful. Patrick Taggart stole the show with some hilarious caricatures and his versatility. An entertaining introduction to Chaucer's timeless tales of human weakness, the power of love, and the folly of people failing to practice what they preach.'

- Sarah Singleton, Wiltshire Gazette & Herald

The Men's Room

'Successful, confident, predatory and homophobic - the characters in Joshua James' play are the sort of repugnant men we've seen in the plays of David Mamet and the films of Neil LaBute. They drink lager together, and watch wrestling together - they even offer each other a spot of relationship advice ('Fuck her'). In fact, these Detroit professionals seem to have it all sorted - until, that is, the spectre of homosexuality enters their lives. 'The cast do a fine job in bringing James' caustic dialogue to comic life, and director Nancy Hirst makes inventive use of basic set and props, with wooden blocks acting as bars, urinals and changing rooms. Inventive, funny and interesting.'

- Alan Aldridge, Time Out

'The Men's Room, by Joshua James, involves seven guys, all long term buddies, who hang out together and keep the Macho Man image alive and kicking. Each scene draws you into their lives and although littered with expletives and some coarse talking, you begin to care about these individuals. They are totally believable, and as events strip away their tough guy exteriors, vulnerabilities, emotions and prejudices are all laid bare. Nancy Hirst, director, has worked well to keep the momentum running. The stage sets, simple wooden blocks, become bar, beds and even urinals, all switched by the cast. One moment I was laughing, the next minute agonising over the anguish of a character. This brawling, bad-mouthing band of men are a riot. But watch out for George (Derek Wright), although he utters just two words in the entire performance, his silent capers - jogging, scooting, dancing - are a joy. Whether the music was chosen by Nancy Hirst or Joshua James, the choices are excellent in echoing the unfolding drama. Bursts of song as varied as Louie, Louie, Park Life and As Time Goes By all slot in well. Male or female, I recommend a visit to The Men's Room.'

- Christine van Emst, Croydon Guardian