UK Theatre Network

The Birmingham Stage Company’s newly adapted version of ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ by David Wood at Richmond Theatre on Tuesday 22^nd June 2010

Published by: Tremayne

Roald Dahl, original writer of George’s Marvellous Medicine, was born in Llandaff, Wales on September 13, 1916 and is my own personal favourite children’s writer.  As a result, I am always very sceptical over any adaptations  of his work, whether it be in film or in theatre.

Dahl went to Repton School in Derbyshire and is appreciated most for his children’s writing. Here he is never afraid to show us just how despicable his characters really are, often relishing  leaving us with a level of discomfort, twisting plots in such a way that we have absolutely no inkling as to how things might turn out but fearing a really nasty ending.

Immediate participation is needed from the audience when George (Clark Devlin) asks us to be his friend, thus creating a bond between himself and us. This is soon broken up by the screams from his mother (Alison Fitzjohn) as she learns the news that her sick mother (Erika Poole) will be coming to stay, uninvited.

Clark Devlin imitates a child’s accent for the character of George. I was not initially convinced by it, as it was hard for me to come to terms with the fact that an adult actor was playing a child. But, as the story unfolded, the age factor ceased to exist.

Erika Poole, the nasty grandmother, had the task of displaying different character traits during George’s daydreams.  These ranged from idyllic grandmother (who quite frankly, was not as much fun!) to an evil witch, who was a lot truer to her character.

The moment where George conjures up various ways inside his head of how to scare his grandmother could be considered unsuitable for a very young age group.  It could have the potential of causing them nightmares, especially when George puts on the Scream mask.

An interesting question is raised before the lights black out for the interval. We can make a clear comparison between George’s father (Thomas Woodman) and seeing the advantages in using his son’s ‘marvellous’ medicine to make the farm animals larger, and the whole argument of GM crops. It is obviously more thought-provoking to the adults in the audience than to younger members. The farm animals themselves were manoeuvred by the actors who showed good skills in puppetry.  This seems to be quite the thing in theatre these days.

The actor who gave the most convincing and natural performance for me though was Alison Fitzjohn, who played the mother, whose bubbliness outshone the rest and reminded me of Dawn French.

You are without a doubt sent away from the theatre with a warm feeling inside you but I still remain a stickler for Rik Mayall’s Jackanory version of George’s Marvellous Medicine.  I have yet to see something that tops it!