Presented by Strawmoddie Theatre
Directed by Blair Flucker
Review by Hunter King
In a completely unsurprising turn of events, Strawmoddie Theatre has found themselves once again in the sci-fi/ fantasy universe of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, with their newest offering being The Night Watch as part of the Cymera Festival. Night Watch follows the fan favourite Commander Vimes, played ever competently by Strawmoddie regular Chris Allan, as he is launched backwards in time to a much more tumultuous time in Ankh-Morpork after a fight with the sadistic Carcer, played with an eerie joyfulness by Gregor Dickie.
Upon arriving in the Ankh-Morpork of the past, Vimes must take on the name of a recently murdered Sergeant-At-Arms, John Keel, and confront the citizens of his own past as they rise in revolution against an oppressive government and the eerie Captain Swing (Sarah Stanton). Vimes reforms the watch into a more ethical organization, including influencing a new watchman, Sam Vimes, played in his younger form by Nicholas Thorne.
Strawmoddie has certainly found their rhythm with tackling Pratchett in this production. While the run time of the show is still undoubtedly longer than needed (clocking in at over 3 hours), Night Watch was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, and accessible for audience members who aren’t as well versed in the Pratchettverse, though it was clear that most of the nearly sold out crowd were fans.
Immediately as the curtains opened it was clear that this show would be special for Strawmoddie, with a beautifully designed two tiered set, and a well mixed sound design (which in itself is a massive feat in the Pleasance). The lighting was simple overall (largely because of the rig available at Pleasance) but added elements like backlit windows on the second tier of the set helped set the mood of a much more grungey Ankh-Morpork. Additionally, one of Strawmoddie’s usual gimmicks of having interludes between scenes when there is a big change worked exceptionally well in this show, mostly because of Ray Finlayson as Reg Shoe. Finlayson has a natural charisma and is skilled at playing the ukulele, both of which contribute well to his portrayal of Reg as an overly charismatic, socialist rebel with a knack for singing. These added bits were short enough to be forgivable, but fun enough that they didn’t need forgiving in the first place.
Another highlight of the show is the ever excellent performance from Ben Blow, who played five roles in this one, each feeling distinct and authentic. Blow constantly delivers some of the best performances on the Strawmoddie stage, and delivers once again here ranging from a tough old auntie (in partnership with the also excellent Matt Jebb, who also serves as the production manager of the show,) to the empathetic but battle hardened Sergeant Dickins. From an audience/ reviewer perspective, Blow is always welcomed to the stage as he seamlessly transitions from character to character in a way that even masters of the craft can struggle with.
Overall the cast is a mixed bag, with some performances being less authentic, and more monotone, while others feel incredibly natural and can make the audience feel like they are in Pratchett’s world. One such strong performance comes from Caitlin Carter, playing Ned Coates. Carter is another regular on the Strawmoddie stage, and brings a realness to each of their characters, but unlike their last venture into the Discworld, this time they play a protagonist. Despite not playing a villain, Carter is able to bring a seriousness that could bring down the fun vibe of the show, but instead because of Carter’s conviction, brings an empathetic and needed drama to the show.
Blair Flucker in addition to directing the show, worked with Allan as fight choreographers, another shining element of the show. Fight choreography was mostly on point and moved at a believable pace, despite a few moments of a floppy ruler making some swordplay not quite connect, but other moments were perfectly connected and added tension and excitement to the overall show.
Flucker, in addition to playing a young Ventinari (with an almost uncanny likeness to his older counterpart, played by Strawmoddie Artistic Director, Jonathan Whiteside) directed the production with verve and managed to create a pacing that never left the audience bored, a massive feat, especially in the Pratchett adaptations. Strawmoddie has already announced that next year they will be returning to the Discworld series, but in the meantime they have several productions lined up, including an advertised 5 hour epic split into two parts, I, Claudius, which will be playing during the Fringe. Until then, Strawmoddie deserves a compliment, (which they surely have received from their nearly sold out run of the show,) on a job well done and a production that Pratchett himself would surely be proud of.
A Job Well Done; Pratchett Would be Proud
Nottingham runs at Pleasance Theatre until June 7th
Running time – Two hours and Forty minutes with one interval
Photo credit – Andrew Morris
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.
