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GYPT Show Reviews
| Review of Son Of Man |
| By Chris Hall - Western Mail |
| On 07th March 2006 |
| Female view of Son of Man Dennis Potter’s Son of Man caused a furore among church leaders and the Mary Whitehouse brigade in the late ‘60s as being blasphemous and subversive, epithets that seem a little overstated, given what has happened in the theatre over the intervening years. What might still be considered unusual, and possibly still unacceptable to the opponents of a female clergy, would be for Jesus of Nazareth and the disciples to be played by young women, as was the case in Chris Durnall’s simple but lively production performed by Gwent Young People’s Theatre at the Melville Theatre, Abergavenny. As it happened, the device worked rather well, demanding an immediate suspension of disbelief on the part of the audience and an almost Brechtian sense of alienation that heightened concentration on the subject matter of the work rather than any sense of narrative realism. Stylisation was central to the production as a whole, with its use of colourful modern costumes and facial decoration, culminating in the panache and balletic elegance of the crucifixion scene with its flowing streamers rather than blood, wood and nail. This approach might have seemed overly aesthetic and possibly lightweight, given the subject matter, had it not been for the aplomb and passion with which it was performed by a universally excellent cast, centred around a marvellously powerful portrayal of Jesus by Bethan Whitcomb, whose assumption of the role was consummate and at times riveting. It comes as no surprise that this magnificent young actor is hoping to embark upon a professional career. It would not be wishful thinking to predict, given the evidence of her performaces with this company, that we could well have, courtesy of the Gwent Young People’s Theatre, a star in the making. GYPT, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, is run by Gwent Theatre which provides high quality creative, diverse and inclusive Theatre in Education for schools and communities. Productions, performances and workshops create access and participation for young people to experience live theatre and develop an appreciation of the creative arts, provoke discussion of issues and inspire an interest in the world in which they live. |