For a theater major I would say I’ve seen an embarrassingly small amount of theater in my life. With that small caveat, I think London Tide was perhaps the most impressive play that I’ve ever seen. With intresting choices like using the batons to imitate the movement of waves, provide scale to rooms, and even letting an actor hang off one during a musical number it’s not something that I’d ever really thought of as an option for scene/lighting design. That being said, it worked perfectly. Speaking on the scenic design, I find the show’s minimalist approach to be a perfect fit for a story with such a large scope.
Tech elements aside, the performances were also great. I felt all four romantic leads were highlighted and were each given moments to individually shine. Perhaps the best performance though was delivered by Jake Wood in his appearance as Gaffer Hexam. Even as a minor character when he was on stage he commanded so much attention and provided such a nuanced portrayal of a character that could have simply come off as a very one note angry brute. His portrayal gave a window into someone molded by their surroundings of questionable but often understandable morals. To me his performance, in particular in the song the burning boat, really pulled together a lot of the family dynamic we see in the other two Hexams and highlighted his children’s decisions for the rest of the play.
Overall, I loved London Tide. Aside from the show itself, I loved the experience because it gave me the opportunity to see a show of a calibur that I’d never gotten the privilege of viewing before. Do I think it’s the best thing ever in every way? No, but it’s mix of drama with a few songs set to the backdrop of gorgeous technical work made for an experience that really shows why theater is such an important part of our culture. It’s a show that I won’t soon forget.
Theatre in London U of A 