Review: Cyrano de Bergerac at Northern Stage

Who knows what the man with the nose knows?

A Royal & Derngate, Northampton and Northern Stage co-production

Cyrano de Bergerac

Based on the translation written by Anthony Burgess

of the play written by Edmond Rostand

Directed by Lorne Campbell

Northern Stage, Newcastle

Wednesday 29 April to Saturday 16 May 2015

                      

Northern Stage, in association with the Royal & Derngate in Northampton, have produced a fascinating study into the human condition. Their artistic director, Lorne Campbell, has directed an evenly paced production that both engaging and faithful to its original source material.

Rehearsal

Photo: Mark Savage

As the audience enter the auditorium, the ensemble are warming up and using the gym equipment on stage.  From the start Le Bret (John Paul Connolly) immediately assumes control of the action on the stage.  The setting of the show is a theatre in 1640 Paris. In the time of The Three Musketeers these theatres, rather resembling tennis courts, we are told, are used to stage plays such as this. The audience are soon given the treat of a quick rap song which produced a number of laughs and didn’t feel out of place.

Rehearsal

Photo: Mark Savage

Cyrano de Bergerac (Nigel Barrett) enters the stage and confidently assumes centre stage. The role of Cyrano, in Anthony Burgess’s translation, is a fabulous one with lyrically rich monologues reminiscent of a more modern Shakespeare. The self deprecating put downs regarding his unusual nose makes one realise how much the 1987 film, starring Steve Marti, borrows from this play. This play, however, moves away from the saccharine sweet sentimentality of the film as it explores the three way tussle between nice but dim Christian (Chris Jared), Cyrano and the target of their desire Roxanne (Cath Whitfield).  The smart lighting design, by Tim Lutkin, picks out Cyrano as he supplies the chat up lines that Christian uses on Roxanne.

Rehearsal

Photo: Mark Savage

As the action moves off to war the action still has its light moments, but such moments only act as temporary respite from the harsh realities of the predicament that the characters find themselves in. The poetical dialogue from Cyrano is cut in with the realities of a starving army that is struggling to survive. The juxtaposition makes the ending much more powerful.

Cyrano de Bergerac is an entertaining classic drama which seemingly flies by quicker than the 3 hour running time suggests.  The wonderful cast and intelligent design couple to make a remarkable theatrical experience.

This review was written by Stephen Oliver for Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo on Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo

Read the original Jowheretogo Preview: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/preview-cyrano-de-bergerac-at-newcastle.html

Photos: Mark Savage 

Rehearsal

Photo: Mark Savage

Creative Team:

Lorne Campbell Director

Jean Chan Designer

Tim Lutkin Lighting Designer

Alasdair Mcrae Sound Designer

Ros Steen Voice Director

Liv Lorent Movement Director

Rebecca Frecknall Assistant Director

Cast:

Nigel Barrett Cyrano de Bergerac

John Paul Connolly Le Bret/Ligniere

Chris Jared Christian

George Potts De Guiche/Rageneau

Cath Whitefield Roxane

Ensemble:

Sian Armstrong           Samantha Bell            Kylie Ann Ford

Sisley Henning             Matt Howdon             James Hunter

Tickets:

Cyrano de Bergerac can be seen at Northern Stage from Wednesday 29 to Saturday 16 May

Times: Evenings 7.30pm (except Monday 11 May 6pm)

Matinees – Saturday 2pm

No performances on Sundays

Tickets: £24, £19.50 & £14.50 / Students & U21s £12

Box Office: 0191 230 5151 or online at www.northernstage.co.uk

Preview: Cyrano de Bergerac at Newcastle Northern Stage

A poet, a soldier, a brawler...

and a hopeless romantic

 A Royal & Derngate, Northampton and Northern Stage co-production

Cyrano de Bergerac

Based on the translation written by Anthony Burgess

of the play written by Edmond Rostand

Directed by Lorne Campbell

Royal & Derngate, Northampton

Friday 3 – Saturday 25 April

Northern Stage, Newcastle

Wednesday 29 April to Saturday 16 May

Director Lorne Campbell

with Kylie Ann Ford

Photo: Mark Savage

Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton 2015 season starts in April with the sweeping epic, Cyrano de Bergerac. Directed by Lorne Campbell, Anthony Burgess’ translation of Edmund Rostand’s classic play is a co-production with Northern Stage, and takes to the Royal stage in Northampton from Friday 3 April, transferring to Newcastle from 29 April.

A poet and a soldier, a brawler and an incurable romantic, Cyrano do Bergerac is a hero – the first among men but totally lost among women. He is blessed with being brilliant at everything and cursed by having the biggest nose in all of France.

Cyrano is hopelessly in love with Roxane, his equal in wit but every bit as beautiful as he is ugly. Afraid of confessing his love, he becomes a protector and confidante. Christian, a handsome cadet but not the sharpest sword in the armoury, catches Roxane’s eye and, with his mighty heart breaking, Cyrano sets about using his unequalled skill as a poet to write ravishing love letters between the two.

The panache of one of literature’s most famous love triangles is brought to life in this epic production, staged with passion, bravado, joy and heartache. Duels are fought, honour defended, villains defeated, and cakes eaten.

Lorne Campbell, Chris Jared and George Potts

Photo: Mark Savage

Cyrano de Bergerac is directed by Northern Stage Artistic Director Lorne Campbell, who comments: “Cyrano is scaled up in every way, not just his nose, but his bravery and his vulnerability, his honour and his self-loathing, his soaring poetry and his profound inarticulacy. This is what I love about the play, it takes that ridiculous deluded mess of a person we all carry around inside ourselves and lets them out onto the stage, bigger and better while also more absurd and crippled than we could ever be.”

James Hunter and Nigel Barrett

with director Lorne Campbell

Photo: Mark Savage

Lorne, whose credits include Carthage Must Be Destroyed and Distracted at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre, will be working with designer Jean Chan (James and the Giant Peach, Dundee Rep, The James Plays, National Theatre/National Theatre of Scotland as Associate Designer). Lighting design is by Tim Lutkin who recently won an Olivier for Chimerica, with other credits including The Crucible (Old Vic), Royal & Derngate’s Christmas show Merlin and The Go-Between, a co-production between Royal & Derngate, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Derby Theatre. Sound design is by Alasdair Mcrae whose recent work includes Get Santa! and The Bloody Great Border Ballad Project for Northern Stage and Gastronauts for the Royal Court.

Nigel Barrett and James Hunter

rehearse a fight scene

Photo: Mark Savage

Nigel Barrett whose credits include There Has Possibly Been An Incident, Royal Exchange Manchester/ SohoTheatre, Richard III – An Arab Tragedy, for RSC/Bouffes du Nord and The Passion with Michael Sheen, takes the central role of Cyrano. Nigel is a member of the Shunt Collective and recently won The Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award 2015 with Louise Mari. Cath Whitefield (Electra, The Gate, Othello, RSC) appears as Roxane and Chris Jared (All’s Well That Ends Well, Hamlet, RSC) completes the legendary love triangle as Christian. The cast also includes John Paul Connolly (Twelfth Night, Richard III, Shakespeare’s Globe, West End and Broadway) as Le Bret/Ligniere and George Potts (1984, Headlong Theatre; The Silver Tassie, National Theatre) as De Guiche/Rageneau.

Cyrano company movement

rehearsals with Liv Lorent, Movement Director

Photo: Mark Savage

The Chorus is made up of six emerging performers from Northern Stage’s NORTH scheme – a 21 week paid training programme to support and develop young actors in the North East of England. Lorne Campbell explains, “NORTH is part of Northern Stage’s commitment to creating access and opportunities for working class actors with exceptional talent, so we’re delighted that they’re working with us on our big spring production this year.” Kylie Ann Ford, Sisley Henning, Sian Armstrong, Samantha Bell, James Hunter and Matt Howdon will take on dozens of ensemble roles.

Creative Team:

Lorne Campbell Director

Jean Chan Designer

Tim Lutkin Lighting Designer

Alasdair Mcrae Sound Designer

Ros Steen Voice Director

Liv Lorent Movement Director

Rebecca Frecknall Assistant Director

Cast:

Nigel Barrett Cyrano de Bergerac

John Paul Connolly Le Bret/Ligniere

Chris Jared Christian

George Potts De Guiche/Rageneau

Cath Whitefield Roxane

Ensemble:

Sian Armstrong                    Samantha Bell            Kylie Ann Ford

Sisley Henning                      Matt Howdon              James Hunter

Tickets:

Cyrano de Bergerac can be seen at Royal & Derngate, Northampton from Friday 3 to Saturday 25 April and at Northern Stage from Wednesday 29 to Saturday 16 May www.northernstage.co.uk.

Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road, Northampton NN1 1DP

Dates: Friday 3 to Saturday 25 April 2015

Times: Evenings 7.45pm (except Tuesday 7 April 7pm)

Matinees – Thursday and Saturday 2.30pm

No performances on Sundays

Tickets: £10 to £29*

Box Office: 01604 624811 or online at www.royalandderngate.co.uk 

A transaction fee of £2.80 applies to telephone and website bookings only. Does not apply in person, or to Groups and Friends, and is per-transaction, not per-ticket.

Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE1 7RH

Dates: Wednesday 29 April to Saturday 16 May 2015

Times: Evenings 7.30pm (except Monday 11 May 6pm)

Matinees – Saturday 2pm

No performances on Sundays

Tickets: £24, £19.50 & £14.50 / Students & U21s £12

Box Office: 0191 230 5151 or online at www.northernstage.co.uk