It was great. You can never be sure how a really good book will translate to the stage, or how much will have to be left out. Starseeker is my favourite Tim Bowler book and I wouldn’t have taken kindly to too much messing with it. Miraculously Phil Porter appears to have left nothing of note out. So, it was a play as good as the book.
Considering the importance of the piano playing throughout the story, it was wonderful to hear good music actually played on stage by the actor playing Luke.
The five actors taking on all the parts did a very good job. And the set was excellent, with imaginative use of space for so many different settings.
Tim was there, with most of his extended family and plenty of friends. It was good to see him again and nice to meet all the others. And as an added bonus I found Costa winner Linda Newbery had also come. So that’s two extremely good authors for the price of one play.
The theatre was wonderful, with the old traditional auditorium and the newly built extension allowing plenty of space for bars and socialising. Northampton turned out to be a pleasant town, but maybe it could be London next for Starseeker? Or at least Manchester.
4 responses so far ↓
Ann // July 2, 2007 at 7:44
Yes, also my favourite Bowler, although there are parts of it I can only read out of the corner of my eye, my reading equivalent of hiding my head under a cushion, so goodness knows how I would handle a stage production.
bookwitch // July 2, 2007 at 8:10
It wasn’t scary on stage. At least not if you “know how it will end”, because then some of your fears can be removed. I was scared reading the book, though, imagining the worst.
And a friend of Tim’s was worrying on Saturday whether Frozen Fire had been the right gift for her niece, and my daughter didn’t exactly ease her concern…
Ann // July 4, 2007 at 8:49
I bet she didn’t!
Linda Newbery // July 4, 2007 at 14:28
I thought it was a very clever adaptation, too, with very striking set design. If it seemed a little rushed in the opening scenes, the very moving second act made up for it, and was truly compelling. I especially loved the scene in which Luke’s father stands beside him at the piano, leading him in the composition. I agree that it ought to go on tour and reach a wider audience!
Leave a Comment