JM Barrie's Quality Street - Northern Broadsides

There was an amateur production of this in Oxford earlier this year. I didn't catch it - but I heard good things.

Plus it is unique in being the only play to have had a chocolate range named after it.

I do wonder whether they will incorporate the Green Triangle, Big Purple and Golden Penny into the design...

Saw this tonight at The Lowry in Salford. I think 'deliciously bonkers' is my immediate reaction.

And yes oxfordsimon - they do manage to incorporate some of the sweets into the design!

Doesn't sound the strongest work but I had my eye on this as I've always enjoyed both this company's work (though I know this is the first under the new AD) and plays of that type. I was hoping to postpone booking until after the first reviews but wanting to see it in Guildford, I ended up booking blind as the matinees were getting busy. R4's Front Row recently had an ineresting interview with the new AD, Laurie Samson, which was preceded by an explanation for the change of AD. I thought it reasonable for founder Barrie Rutter to have retired after a good run but hadn't realised that Northern Broadsides had also fallen foul of Arts Council England's targets.

This did not even come close to working for me on any level. Only a determination to see it through kept me from leaving at the interval. I haven't been so bored in the theatre in quite a while.

If there is any merit or even logic to this bizarre and threadbare tale it escapes me. The Wikipedia synopsis makes it sound far more interesting than anything on display tonight in Northampton. Quite how much Laurie Sansom has changed or adapted, I've no clue, but it must surely be extensive.

Just because J. M. Barrie's story inspired Mackintosh to create the Quality Street confectionery (apparently), we have scenes book-ended by factory workers from the sweet factory in Halifax discussing something-and-nothing, which ironically provide the most interesting parts of the play. We also have characters dressed in gowns designed to look like foil sweet wrappers.

There's also the most weirdly choreographed dance routine shoe-horned in after the break. There are puppets too -- for the child characters -- a device I have never seen fail before, but here they are unconvincing and merely add to the absurdity.

The casting is gender-blind, colour-blind, age-blind and accent-deaf. I know this is the way of things now, but it's just becoming a tiresome gimmick. Oh for the days when directors made an effort to have characters look and sound credibly authentic.

To add to a plethora of staggeringly ill-judged creative choices, the minimalist set design includes a rear entrance comprising a factory-floor wall of heavy-duty, transparent, hanging strips.

Look, I have loved zany nonsense like Anyone Can Whistle or Salad Days; I've adored the charm of silly, satirical romances such as Arms and the Man; but Quality Street couldn't be farther removed. It's a romantic comedy without the comedy, without any satire, without any wit, without any characters to care about, and without any point.

One star.

Act 1: 19:32-20:36
Act 2: 20:56-21:53

Don't want to get too much into it, but we've had gender/colour blind casting for years now. I barely even notice most the time, and it's gotten so common most audiences don't anymore.

Unless the race/gender is a big part of the character/plot (like othello for example) it's barely even worth mentioning.

The use of anachronisms such as the choreography and the nod to the factory setting element worked very well for me. I could see exactly why those choices were made and what they added to the production.

Bridgerton also doesn't stick strictly to period and millions accept and enjoy that.

Yes, the play is relatively slight but it is an entertaining confection with warmth and heart. It has engaging performances and I loved having sweet wrapper inspired costume colours. Indeed I would have felt cheated without them.

Chacun a son gout....

Well oxfordsimon you've convinced me to give this a whirl when it comes to Richmond next week. I liked Bridgerton so hoping I fall into the camp who enjoy this.

Threads merged.

He was an outsider who had moved to Quality Street so there is nothing inconsistent with him having a different northern accent.

The factory workers had a range of accents to reflect their real life experiences.

There was nothing that jarred at all.

I was glad to have seen this, though it didn't entirely work.

On the plus side, Louisa-May Parker, as the sister gives a funny and touching performance,and some other performances were fine; the Quality Street gowns were fun and the plot surprising enough to maintain interest. I laughed out loud several times and enjoyed the bit of choreography.

Didn't think the framing device worked and the knock-on effect on the set design was a shame - the unsightly metal frame and heavy plastic curtain. The sound design was a bit annoying as well. In one scene the music worked against the dialogue so badly, it seemed like someone should shout 'turn that down.' The puppets for children was strange, agree with mkb above that it didn't work, even though it was interesting to see how poorly suited they were to running a school.

Audience was good. Very drunk person two over from me, but he was quiet and probably confused.

I would give it 3 stars - esp as I wasn't bored. My companion, who thought the plastic curtain looked like something from an abattoir, would give 2.