The Waves at Jermyn Street Theatre: A Haunting Adaptation of Virginia Woolf's Novel
Virginia Woolf's stream-of-consciousness 1931 novel The Waves is a swirling tide of voices, overlapping and interweaving like the sea. It is a near-impossible read, yet Flora Wilson Brown's rich and rewarding play transforms it into a gently floating narrative, with Woolf's elusive wit bobbing to the surface. The characters meet as children and remain loosely, yet tightly, connected as they grow older, emerging as distinctive personalities. Each embodies a different way of experiencing life.
In this production, directed by Júlia Levai and superbly performed, the six friends wear T-shirts with their names in capitals. As they move into their teens, twenties, and beyond, they graduate into shirts, blouses, jackets, and longer coats, timeless until a few furious swearwords bring them boldly into the here and now. On stage, a little square of earth contains a flower bed and a grave, symbolizing life and death. Percival, the idealized friend who is absent, is given a powerful presence through the voices of the others. His death is a turning point, shattering for the group and for individuals. His life has ended, yet life goes on, heard in the sound of waves rising, swelling, and breaking. Haunting yet heartening, this piece is beautifully done.
The cast includes Syakira Moeladi as the confident Jinny, Breffni Holahan as the earthy Susan, and Ria Zmitrowicz as the diffident Rhoda, who holds the piece together. Pedro Leandro plays the aspiring poet Neville, Tom Varey is Bernard, and Archie Backhouse portrays Louis, the outsider. The production runs at Jermyn Street Theatre in London until May 30.
Caroline: A Jukebox Musical Celebrating Pirate Radio in the 1960s
From an East Anglian touring consortium comes Caroline, an exhilarating and good-hearted jukebox musical that celebrates the 1960s pirate station Radio Caroline. Anchored off the North Sea coast, the station beamed all-day pop to bored teenagers fed up with the BBC Light Programme. Vikki Stone builds the story around a fictional couple: shopgirl Caroline and DJ Robbie, reminiscent of Tony Blackburn. Robbie is recruited by entrepreneur Declan, echoing the real Ronan O'Rahilly, who saw an untapped market in teens craving glamour, fashion, and music to move to.
The musical features a nimble company of ten actor-musicians, kept moving by director Douglas Rintoul. Claire Lee Shenfield plays Caroline, delivering a terrific performance as she belts out Lulu's Shout! and croons You're My World. Jake Halsey-Jones is adorable as Robbie, cracking terrible DJ jokes between jingles for forgotten brands. The simple plot is saved from blokeyness by scenes with Caroline's supportive friend Mary and her grumpy mother. The show breathes silly, brave, defiant youth, with roaring numbers like Not Fade Away and My Generation, and sweetness in What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.
For tour dates, visit carolineanewmusical.com.
