A LITTLE TOO DARK FOR MASTER OF COLOUR

17 September 2003 Bristol Evening Post

Fairplay Productions present Vincent: Redgrave Theatre, Clifton WHAT a joy it is to see a brand new musical, especially one home grown in the Bristol area.

John Turner, the writer and composer of this original work, has lived with the idea for a musical based on the last three tragic years of Vincent Van Gogh's life and developed it over a long period.

It must have been a great thrill to see it finally burst into life on a stage, particularly when it is such a family affair - son Tom taking care of the direction and wife Sue setting up the production and publicity.

Naturally, when such definite images and sounds have crystallised within your brain, there will be a few disappointments and John Turner must have suffered these mixed emotions as he saw the first performance of his musical.

It is a dour tale and director Tom Turner needed to make fuller use of the few lighter moments to give more light and shade to the production.

Lyrics crammed with facts but short on poetry also didn't help. Nor did the settings mainly against a black background, which gave little indication of the great burst of colour and heat at Arles which so penetrated Van Gogh's mind.

A strong cast headed by Jamie Spencer served the production well. But not even he or Simon Duffill, who gave a beautifully sensitive performance as Vincent's loving brother Theo, could bring full reality to a final scene robbed of much of its emotion by clumsy staging.

Cathy Marsh and Michaela Crumpton left the strongest impression among the ladies in the production, which will get better as cues tighten and confidence grows during the week.

The production runs until Saturday.

Star rating: HHHII

GERRY PARKER