comedy

Accessibility Review of John Buchan’s ‘The 39 Steps’!

/ thevicritic / Leave a comment

Hi everyone, and welcome to the first review of 2025! Here’s to another year of excellent and accessible theatre!

The first review of the year is The 39 Steps, written by John Buchan, adapted by Patrick Barlow, and directed by the brilliant Ryan McBride at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester. This thrilling and hilarious production follows the story of Richard Hannay, played by Mateo Oxley, as he finds himself on the run across the Scottish Moors with the fate of the British Empire at stake!

This show is a comedy masterclass from beginning to end! The two clowns, Danielle Bird and Phil Yarrow, do a fantastic job of keeping the audience howling with laughter, with Danielle particularly shining in her role as The Professor! If my schedule had allowed, I would have gladly seen this production again!

The set design is simple—but in a good way. It allows you to fully engage with the story while still making it visually clear when the location changes. There is also great use of props that cleverly transform from one thing to another—kudos to the workshop department for their creativity! Hopefully, these details are effectively conveyed in the Audio Description, ensuring that blind and visually impaired audience members can fully appreciate these clever transitions.

The use of colourful costumes helps establish each character clearly and makes them visually distinct. However, there are moments when the two clowns switch characters simply by changing hats. While this is a clever and understandable choice given the fast pace of the show, it may make following character transitions a little more challenging, especially for those relying on partial vision. Ideally, the Audio Description will help clarify these moments for blind and visually impaired audiences.

This is, at times, a very visual show, with several physical comedy moments and visual gags. There are also two loud gunshot sounds—one at the very end of Act One and another towards the end of Act Two—so be prepared for those if you are sensitive to sudden noises.

For audience members with little to no vision, there may be moments where visual gags are missed without Audio Description. However, this does not impact the overall understanding of the story—you won’t miss anything crucial plot-wise. If you have some useful vision, I recommend sitting as close to the centre of Row E as a minimum, though Rows D or C would be even better for an optimal view.

For those wanting an accessible experience, there is an Audio-Described performance and Touch Tour on Saturday, 29th March, at 2:30 PM, with the Touch Tour at 1:00 PM. More information, including ticket details, can be found on The Mercury Theatre Colchester’s website via the link here.

This is a wonderful production—gripping, hilarious, and full of energy! I couldn’t recommend it enough and would absolutely see it again if I had the chance!

Until next time,
The VI Critic

This is a promotional image for The 39 Steps, adapted by Patrick Barlow. The background is deep green with a slight texture, giving it a classic, vintage feel. The show's title, The 39 Steps, is prominently displayed on the left side in large, bold, golden-yellow letters with a three-dimensional effect, making them pop against the background. The number "39" is especially large and eye-catching, with a red-to-orange gradient. Below the title, smaller text credits Patrick Barlow as the adapter and acknowledges John Buchan’s novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s film adaptation. On the right side of the image, two actors are dramatically posed, looking startled. The woman in the foreground wears a striking bright blue skirt suit with a fitted jacket, a crisp white blouse with a bow tied at the collar, and a platinum blonde wig styled in soft waves. Her facial expression is one of shock, with wide eyes and an open mouth as if she has just been caught in a perilous situation. Her left arm is extended, and she is wearing a metal handcuff on her wrist, with the chain dangling loosely. Behind her, a man dressed in a classic brown trench coat, white shirt, and dark tie wears a brown fedora hat tilted slightly to one side. He has a thick, neatly groomed mustache and holds the brim of his hat with one hand while peering around the woman's shoulder. His facial expression conveys both concern and curiosity, as if he is either about to step into action or has just been caught off guard. In the background, a vintage black steam train with a large round headlamp is bursting through a red, art-deco-style frame. The train's number, "817", is visible on the front, and a thick plume of white smoke billows from its chimney. The red frame around the train is designed to resemble a doorway or portal, adding to the sense of movement and adventure. The overall composition of the image is dynamic, blending comedy, suspense, and old-fashioned intrigue—perfectly capturing the energetic, fast-paced nature of the production. The bold colors and vintage aesthetic reflect the classic spy-thriller style, while the actors’ expressions and body language hint at the humorous and theatrical tone of the show.

Accessibility Review Of ‘Abigail’s Party’

/ thevicritic / Leave a comment

Welcome back, everyone, to another review!
I was kindly invited by The Mercury Theatre to attend their latest production of Abigail’s Party.

The story takes place over the course of one evening, during a get-together between friends and neighbours, while someone’s daughter hosts a party across the street.

Set in the 1970s, the show truly captures the era through the furniture, appliances, and general atmosphere. The plot centers around the strained marriage of Beverly, a stay-at-home wife, and Laurence, an estate agent juggling the pressures of both his marriage and his business. Beverly loves to entertain, often paying little attention to Laurence, who struggles to hold everything together.

One of the striking visual elements is Beverly’s bright and vibrant costume. While the other characters wear more muted, dull outfits, Beverly’s colorful dress immediately draws attention to her, visually reinforcing her role as the center of the evening’s events. In contrast, Laurence’s costume is the most subdued, further highlighting the tension between them—his bland, dull attire reflects the weight he feels from both his personal and professional life.

The image depicts an indoor scene with a woman standing behind a tan leather sofa, which is covered with a zebra-print blanket. She is wearing a colorful, flowing dress and appears to be adjusting the blanket. In front of the sofa, there is a coffee table with a gold-colored ornament that looks like a fountain, spraying water upwards. Behind the woman, there is a kitchen setup with a white refrigerator, a microwave, and a stove. The floor is covered with a fluffy, white carpet, and the background is dark, suggesting the image might be part of a performance or artistic setup.
Photo Credit: Amy Rockson

The show also weaves in the lives of the other guests, who each bring their own stories and dynamics into the mix. Since the show is intimate, focusing on a small gathering of adults, much of the story unfolds through dialogue. This makes it easy to follow, even if you’re relying mostly on the conversations rather than visual elements. Leander Denny, who plays Laurence, adds moments of physical comedy that break up the verbal exchanges nicely, making the show more engaging and enjoyable.

The set design uses muted, somewhat plain colours, which helps the characters’ costumes stand out. Beverly’s bold attire, in particular, contrasts with the duller palette around her, adding to her commanding presence. However, this sometimes made it harder to visually distinguish between certain scenes. There were moments where the bright lighting, especially against the floor’s white cotton-wool-like material, made some scenes a bit too intense for a few seconds.

The image shows a man standing next to a vintage green car with its driver's door open. He is dressed in a dark suit and tie, and his right hand is resting on his hip while his left hand holds the car door. The background is dark, emphasizing the car's shiny green exterior and the man's formal attire. The car's headlights and curves suggest it is a classic model, adding a nostalgic and elegant touch to the scene. The overall atmosphere is one of sophistication and timeless style.
Photo: Amy Rockson

Since there isn’t much physical action—aside from the occasional comedic moment and the impactful ending—you won’t miss much of the plot. The tension in Beverly and Laurence’s marriage is clear, as well as the challenges faced by another couple, Susan and Tony, who are younger and newly married. You can sense Tony’s dissatisfaction, and you may find yourself wondering if their relationship will change by the end of the night. I particularly enjoyed the era-appropriate music, which added to the nostalgic atmosphere.

Accessibility-wise, the show is highly dialogue-driven, so there’s little you’d miss visually. While there are occasional bright lights and moments of visual and physical comedy, these elements are brief and don’t take away from the overall experience. The herbal cigarettes used on stage did produce a faint smell, which some people might find noticeable, though it wasn’t overwhelming.

If you’d prefer extra support, there is an Audio Described performance and a Touch Tour available, making the show even more accessible for those who might need it.

Overall, this is really a fantastic night out! The story of the show along with the comedy we have you hooked from start to finish! Whilst you can I can do nothing but recommend this show anyone and everyone! ‘Abigail’s Party’ is running at The Mercury Theatre from 5th until 12th October 2024! If you are interested in more information and where to buy tickets, you can find all that on The Mercury Theatre’s website which I will link here!

Until Next Time,

The VI Critic

Trailer:

Accessibility Theatre Review of ‘Art’ By Yasmina Aeza & Directed By Iqbal Khan

/ thevicritic / 1 Comment

Hi everyone, and welcome to a new review! Finally back after a summer break!

Today, I’m bringing you the first of two reviews. First up is Art by Yasmina Reza! This play tells the story of Serge, an aspiring art collector. One day, he buys an incredibly expensive piece of art. But sadly, his closest friends don’t see the appeal of the painting. It’s a story of friendship between three people, with some hard truths they’ve likely been avoiding for years.

Going in, I had never heard of this play, which is often the case with the shows I attend. So, I had no expectations based on previous performances. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy the show—the first ten minutes felt uncertain—but I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of moments when my friends and I had similar conversations or experiences, so I could really connect with the characters. Each character approached situations from their own perspectives, which provided a refreshing take on how an object—or someone else’s interest—can affect people differently.

The image depicts a person standing indoors next to a large rectangular board that is illuminated by a bright blue light. The person is dressed in a light blue shirt and pants, with hands clasped in front. The background is dark, creating a stark contrast with the illuminated elements, suggesting a presentation or performance setting. The use of blue lighting adds a modern and striking visual effect to the scene, focusing the viewer's attention on both the person and the board
CREDIT Geraint Lewis

The use of colour was brilliantly done! Everything was vibrant and stood out. I love it when shows do this, as it really helps those with some usable vision distinguish the set from the characters and even the characters from one another. The edge lighting between scenes made the transitions exciting to watch—something I actually looked forward to.

I was grateful this was a comedy, as I think I would have struggled to fully understand the story without it. Don’t get me wrong—I enjoyed the show and its story! However, there were several moments when I had little understanding of a line or point a character was making, but the comedy more than made up for it.

There was great use of contrast throughout the play, in the props, sets, and costumes. This is something I always like to praise, as it makes the show much easier to follow from a visual perspective. Each character had a distinct voice and accent, which made it easy to follow who was speaking and to whom. While a lot of colour was used throughout the show, it didn’t have much impact on the plot itself, apart from the painting. But this was described by the characters multiple times, which was helpful.

The image depicts two people standing indoors against a backdrop of vividly painted walls. There is a man on the left dressed in a colorful cardigan with blue and yellow stripes, an orange shirt, and white pants. He is holding a small cup in his right hand. To his right, another man stands wearing a patterned shirt under a gray vest with dark trousers, also holding a small cup in his hand. The background consists of a blue-painted section on the left and vertical red and white striped wallpaper on the right.
CREDIT Geraint Lewis

Unfortunately, there are no accessibility performances of any kind, which is disappointing. Would I say an Audio Described performance is necessary? On this occasion, I’d say no. But it would have been nice for audiences to have the option of an accessible performance and a Touch Tour.

Overall, I liked this show. The performances from all the actors were great—they really connected with the audience. While the story was a bit hard to follow at times, the comedy made it more understandable and enjoyable. I would have loved to see accessibility performances, especially since the show is on tour in the UK. Hopefully, other theatres on the tour will offer them.

Art by Yasmina Reza and directed by Iqbal Khan will be running at The Mercury Theatre from 18th-21st September 2024, with a full UK tour to follow! More information and ticket details can be found on The Mercury Theatre website by clicking the link here.

Until next time,
The VI Critic

Trailer:

Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance Of Being Earnest’

/ thevicritic / 1 Comment

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first theatre review of the year 2024! It’s great to see another year of theatre performances starting. To kick things off, I recently watched ‘The Importance Of Being Earnest’ at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester.

I was excited to see this play as it is based on a popular book with a worldwide reputation. The plot revolves around two men, one of whom lives a double life under a different identity. This leads to a complicated love triangle between the characters.

I first need to say that the cast in this show was amazing and had a real passion for the material. It was also really clear from the show that the direction and style of the show wanted to stay very true to the original text, which I preferred. 

The use of simple settings and staging, along with effective contrast, helped to make it very clear to distinguish between each character. They all had a unique sense of fashion and style that added to their individuality. The great use of colour was visually pleasing and added to the overall experience. Each character had a distinct way of speaking, making it easy to understand who was talking to whom and who was on stage at any given time.

The image depicts a whimsical, theatrical scene. There is a woman standing on the left, dressed in a floral dress with her hair up, looking upwards. She is next to a small round table with a pink cloth and two red chairs. In the center, there is a large, ornate fireplace with a pile of red and white roses spilling out from it. Above the fireplace hangs a large, round, dark mirror with a pink frame. On the right, a man in a pink suit with a blue bow tie leans on a high counter, looking towards the woman. The backdrop is a lush wall of greenery and flowers, and there are three birds suspended in the air as if in mid-flight. The floor has a checkered pattern in light blue and white.

The lighting used in the show was simple yet effective in illuminating the entire performance. I appreciated this as there was not a single moment where I had difficulty seeing what was happening on stage. The only instances of darkness were at the beginning and end of each act, which did not cause any significant problems.

I have always struggled with the different types of language used in some plays for example Shakespeare’s plays, and there was a few elements in this play too. However, the comedy throughout the whole show fully made up for this. 

The image shows a man standing in a room with a playful and confident expression. He is holding a red book in his left hand and resting his right hand on the back of a white, ornate sofa. He is dressed in a colorful outfit: a teal robe with a floral pattern, a maroon sweater, pink pants, and a brown belt. Behind him is a bookshelf filled with neatly arranged books in various bright colors. The room has a light blue wall and a grayish-blue floor.

The story itself I had never done at school so was not aware of this play or book before seeing this show. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this production from start to finish. The story was engaging and compelling, and the cast did nothing but add to this. It had everything you could want. A love triangle, death, comedy, betrayal, secrets. It has it all. It was great to see a predominantly female cast apart from the two male leads which I don’t see very often it was great to see and something which should happen more.

I think in terms of accessibility then, if you have some useful version. You will love the great use of lighting, scenery and colour. Along with amazing costumes. If you would like an up-close look at this, then I would recommend sitting in the centre of row D which is pictured below. If you limited to no vision. You will still get a great deal out of this show. There are of course some visual elements you will miss but there is an audio-described performance available along with a Touch Tour, to get even more up close and personal with the cast and set of this outstanding show. 

The image shows a stage set designed to look like an elegant room. The room has a pastel color scheme with light blue and white checkered flooring. The walls are adorned with white paneling and decorative moldings, and the backdrop features a painted sky with fluffy clouds. On the left side of the stage, there is a white bookshelf filled with colorful books. In the center of the room, there is a classic white sofa with ornate detailing. To the right, there is a small round table covered with a pink cloth, upon which rests a lamp with a fringed shade, and a single chair that matches the sofa's design. Above the table, on the wall, is an oval-shaped mirror with a pink frame. There are two wall sconces emitting a warm light on either side of the mirror. The overall atmosphere of the set is whimsical and charming, reminiscent of a fairytale interior.

You really would not go far wrong in getting a ticket for this outstanding show. This has been put together brilliantly in the only way The Mercury Theatre can. If it can go on tour I really think it should. Let the rest of the country get to see how good this first-class show is! 

‘The Importance Of Earnest’ is running at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester from 7th – 16th March 2024. Go and get your tickets by clicking the link here!

Until Next Time,

The VI Critic  

The image is a promotional poster for a play. It features a person dressed in a pink suit with a large pink rose for a head. The person is holding a teacup close to where their mouth would be. The background is olive green with ornate gold designs on the corners and sides. The title "THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST" is prominently displayed in large white letters, with "by OSCAR WILDE" and "directed by RYAN McBRIDE" in smaller text below.

A Trailer Of The Show In Animation:

A Interview With Director Ryan McBryde: