Directed by Lynne Morris
Review by Hunter King
As the Christmas season quickly approaches, Leitheatre welcomed the festive tidings this weekend with the classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. The show tells the story of George Bailey (Kevin Rowe) and his life from childhood until a situation that could become his death, his guardian angel Clarence (or rather Clarissa, as played by Susan Duffy in this version), and the citizens of Bedford Falls whom George has befriended throughout his life as they pray for him in his time of crisis.
Rowe leads the ensemble of the show with a competent portrayal of Bailey, clearly taking inspiration from Jimmy Stewart, including an accent that for better or worse sometimes sounds like Stewart’s iconic voice. With that being said, Rowe has a natural tone to his acting, making him easy to listen to. His performance in the later scenes (after Bailey has grown up) are his strongest, really hitting his stride in the latter half of Act One, after the iconic moon scene. Duffy, however, has less of a natural tone but makes up for it with a sense of vigour and excitement that is infectious.
Other cast standouts include Billy Renfrew as Uncle Billy, Angelo Tata as Martini, and Ruari Johnson as both Bert and Gower. These three in particular all give performances that elevate the show as a whole, especially Renfrew, who managed to tackle the complex character of Uncle Billy with tact and believability. Another notable performance comes from the show’s villain, Old Man Potter (Tim Foley), who plays the opulent opportunist with a vulture-like intention, and an accent that is very close to Foghorn Leghorn.
The true stars of this show are the lighting and sound teams, led by Mark Hajducki and Kit Lawson, respectively. Major compliments are deserved specifically for Lawson, whose sound design was intentional and sounded natural, which is no easy feat, especially at the Church Hill. Hajducki’s lighting design is overall fitting for the show, highlighting moments that are exceptionally important, including a very well-designed lighting effect of the moon projected on the back curtain, which looked very realistic and contributed a lot to the emotional moment where George offers to lasso it down for his lover, Mary (Jane Bradley).
Derek Blackwood’s set design is mostly fitting, including the iconic bridge George stares over at the biggest key moments of the show. Some small flaws do break the immersion, such as a line of small houses meant to give the audience a perspective of the small town, but they often look like the main characters are kaiju towering over. Printed signs on all of the set pieces with serif fonts also feel ill-conceived, which is a shame because the set pieces themselves are well constructed and appealing from the audience’s perspective.
The production suffers from flaws here and there, but has the heart that is needed to perform It’s a Wonderful Life. Even though Clarissa didn’t get her wings in the end (a strange omission), the show brings the holiday spirit that is much needed this season, and will leave audiences feeling cosy as they venture back from the warm auditorium into the cold of Edinburgh’s winter.
Leaves Audiences Feeling Cosy
It’s A Wonderful Life runs at Church Hill Theatre
Running time: Two hours with one interval
Review by Hunter King (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Hunter is a 2024 Master’s graduate of the University of Edinburgh and current doctoral candidate with a thesis focused on experimental theatre in Edinburgh. He has been a theatre practitioner for over a decade having worked in many capacities including as a director, actor, stage manager, front of house manager, and technician as well as others. Prior to moving to Edinburgh, Hunter was a high school English teacher in the United States. His passion for the written word as well as his passion for live performance are what motivated him to become a writer for this publication.
