Jacey Bedford's Journal

Last Thursday we went to the delightful Penistone Paramount to see the real-time live broadcast of the National Theatre's Treasure Island which turned out to have Arthur Darvill as Long John Silver and folkie, Roger Wilson, singing shanties and playing fiddle. But the star of the show was the girl who played Jim Hawkins. Yes Hawkins was a girl - Jemima Hawkins - played by Patsy Ferran. She carried the show effortlessly - and there were female pirates as well adding a touch of gender balance to a story written in the days when only men and boys had adventures.

The adaptation was excellent for family audiences without erasing the essential darkness of the original story. The stage set was spectacular with a surround of ribs, like the wreck of a wooden boat, a full lighting rig that created a planetarium sky, complex turntable and rising sections forming instant scenery. The inn (outdoors and in), the ship Hispaniola (complete with climbable rigging) and the desert island. You can see the set here: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/treasure-island.

These NT broadcasts are really the next best thing to seeing the show live (and a lot cheaper). We saw Frankensdtein last year with Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller. That was a re-run of the recording of the stage play. Treasure Island carried the frisson of knowing you were watching in real time. i guess they will repeat the showing now that they have it in the pot. I heartily recommend it.

This week (weather permitting) we're going to see Into the Woods.
I'm also looking forward to Ex Machina and Jupiter Ascending - but am deeply disappointed that Orange Wednesay twofers are coming to an end in late February.