Arcadia – Library Theatre Company at The Lowry Theatre, Salford
Writer: Tom Stoppard
Director: Chris Honer
Reviewer: John Roberts
The Public Reviews Rating: 
After 58 years in their intimate home underneath Manchester’s Central Library, The Library Theatre Company have gone on the move and opened their new season at the Lowry Theatre’s courtyard-style Quays Theatre, with one of Tom Stoppard’s most revered plays: Arcadia.
Stoppard’s play is set in Sidley Park, the English country home of the Coverly’s, and the action takes place in two separate periods – 1809-1812 and the present day. With the actions and lives of the residents today juxtaposed against those of 200 years ago.
In 1809, the daughter of the house Thomasina (played with youthful exuberance by Beth Park) is well ahead of her time with the Mathematical ideas and theories taught to her by her tutor Septimus Hodge (a charming and charismatic performance by Charlie Anson), a long time friend of the unseen Lord Byron.
In the present we meet Valentine (Alasdair Craig in a beautifully deadpan comedic turn), the head of the Coverly clan; Hannah Jarvis (played with an astute po-face delivery by Cate Hamer), a writer investigating the life of a hermit who once lived on the estate and Bernard Nightingale (played with excellent smarm and pomposity by James Wallace), a professor of Literature who is at Sidley Park investigating a still much discussed mysterious chapter in the life of Byron. And through these characters we slowly discover and piece together the truth about what happened in Thomasina’s lifetime.
Honer’s production is well delivered in a magnificent drawing room box set designed by Judith Croft. Honer has gathered one of his strongest acting companies in recent years, with no weak member in the cast. However the company need to understand that the acoustics of the Quay’s Theatre are very different to those of The Library and, as a result, several lines were lost through inaudibility. This is just a little quibble, as I am sure as they settle into the space, this will iron itself out.
Emma Gregory is a delight as the lady of the house, Lady Croom, whilst Leigh Symonds once again provides an excellent turn as Ezra Chater. Caroline Bartlett is engaging as the feisty Chloe Coverly, whilst Joe Shalom is wonderfully animated as the mainly muted Gus Coverly.
My main concern with the piece is not this presentation but with Stoppard’s writing. Here we have a master-wordsmith of lyrical witticisms but at times the piece feels a little like sitting in a university lecture: during the three hour running time you can find you are being excluded by the high level of intellectual debate that passes through the piece, albeit perhaps unintentionally.
Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable piece of theatre and many laugh out loud moments are to be had, but as a piece it lacks the charm of the five-star hit of last season (Importance of Being Ernest) and loses out on any lasting emotional resonance of that felt when leaving the theatre after I Ought to be in Pictures.
Photo: Gerry Murray – Runs at The Lowry Theatre until the 9th October
Tags: Alasdair Craig, Beth Park, Carloine Bartlett, Cate Hamer, Charlie Anson, Chris Honer, Emma Gregory, James Wallace, Joe Shalom, Judith Croft, Leigh Symonds, Library Theatre, Lowry Theatre, Salford, Tom Stoppard
