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GYPT Show Reviews
| Review of Gilgamesh |
| By Chris Hall in the Abergavenny Chronicle 3rd July 2006 |
| On 20th February 2007 |
| GYPT’s epic production The epic story of Gilgamesh and his brother Enkidu, with its themes of conflict, flood and the search for the meaning of life and death has been with us for four thousand years, and its influence has permeated all of the great tales that have emerged ever since its first telling writes CHRIS HALL. Ambitious as ever, the Gwent Young People’s Theatre chose Farhana Shiekh’s dramatisation to mount their production at Abergavenny Castle in celebration of fifty years as a company, in spectacular fashion. Utilising the entire space afforded by the castle grounds with the audience moving from site to site along with the action, the experience proved to be genuinely revelatory, with the events unfolding inexorably before our eyes, drawing us ever deeper into the mythical power and ineffable truths that lie at the core of the legend. This was achieved often by the simplest of means and props, for which Bettina Reeves design team deserve particular credit, especially effective in the use of fabrics and puppetry, and by the consummate professionalism of the stage management team under George Davis-Stewart. In such an ensemble enterprise, it would be invidious to single out any performer for particular praise, but special mention must be made of the superb choral speaking and singing, which was a sheer delight in its clarity and co-ordination. Directors Stephen Badman and Gary Meredith are to be congratulated to the fullest extent for making this half-century milestone such a resounding success with probably their finest ever production, a true pinnacle of all their endeavours over the years. The spirit of the company’s founder, the late Melville Thomas, must be truly well-pleased. Abergavenny Chronicle 3rd July 2006 |