Ava Menges
1/12/17
Theater
Period 4
946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips
The play, "The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips”, was amazing! It is full of creativity, high energy, and humor that you will never forget. Directed by Emma rice and written by Michael Morpurgo, this play was like getting Christmas presents for the first time. This production at Berkeley Repertory Theater I would definitely see again!
The plays was set back in time to 1943 England. The play follows Lily's (Katy Owen) life throughout the war. Lily is at school when a kid named Barry(Adam Sopp)comes into her little town from London. Then a little love story begins. We travel through time as Lily and her family befriend some American soldiers, Adi (NcutiGatwa)and Harry (Nandi Bhebhe), see what war is really like, and lose Lilies beloved cat, Tips (Nandi Bhebhe).
The acting was incredible! I think each main characters played at least two characters each. Lily (Katy Owen) had energy, immature outbursts, hilarious dances and body movements. Though she was definitely not a kid, I think she was perfect for the role. Adi and Harry actually made me feel like they were American soldiers! Barry was also funny, a little shy, and immature at times. One of my favorite parts was when Barrie's mother came into town, but she wasn't actually a she! Ewan Wardrop played Mrs. Turner who is Barrie's mother. The classroom was a zoo! It was funny that people with gray hair still played children in some classroom scenes and they still had the same crazy energy as children. As for the rest of the cast, everyone was great and a perfect fit for each role he or her played.
The set was extraordinary! Planks of wood created a circular stage and were painted like a sky. There was a loft near the back of the stage where the band plays the music for the show. The stage was supper inventive with secret compartments and tubes of water creating some effects. The crew used numerous types of lighting to create different atmospheres, such as a storm scene, an outside environment, and a nighttime feeling. The sound effects went off without a hitch. The battle and storm scenes sounded extremely scary with the "crackling" of the lighting and "banging" of the firing muskets in the war. The costumes were nice and simple, considering that almost every character had to do some quick costume changes. One thing that I thought was really cool was that they had marionette dolls to transition from present to past and used a marionette cat for the show. It looked so real, even though there was a person moving the doll. The props were easy to move around and clean up, making the production run as smooth and a baby’s bottom.
In conclusion, this show was inventive, stunning, and definitely a five star production. I think the set and live band really made this play unique. If I had the chance, I would watch it again. I would recommend you see this play before it closes! I hope this helped you to make your decision about seeing the play. Thanks for reading!