UK Theatre Network

The Last Resort

The Customs House, South Shields, Tyne & Wear

Strangeface Theatre’s production, The Last Resort, is an interesting concept that combines actors wearing half-masks, puppetry, original music and songs to tell the folk-tale of a remote town on the brink of ruin.

A soldier steals a treasure chest and, in a remote forest, encounters a devil who damns him to Hell. In a desperate bid to save himself from his fate, the soldier strikes up a deal with the devil. He must find a soul to take his place in Hell within three days.

When he arrives in the nearest community he finds people struggling to survive, because of a war that has ravaged the once prosperous spa town. The soldier assumes that his task will be easy but underestimates the locals.

Best described as a dark, gothic fairy tale, The Last Resort is visually magnificent. The masks, with their protruding eyes, bulging cheeks and hooked noses are marvellously macabre and the simple scenery, designed by Jane Churchill, is utilised extremely effectively.

The cast of four, Russell Dean, Jonny Dixon, Roxanne Palmer and Kai Simmons, each play multiple parts and the masks certainly assist in this area. A particular mask, representing the Mayor, bore an uncanny resemblance to Rowan Atkinson.

The use of accordion music contributes to the eerie atmosphere and songs are interspersed throughout the drama, although Roxanne Palmer should be forcibly restrained from attempting songs that utilise the upper register of her voice.

The story is engaging, although the script could have been trimmed slightly. Some scenes seemed to go on just a tad too long and, occasionally, the audience began to fuss, fumble and fidget in their seats, indicating that Ashley Dean’s direction could be tighter.

The show is deemed to be ‘suitable for older families,’ although I am not quite sure where Strangeface are pitching their target audience. It seems to have too much adult content for younger children but, at the same time, may be too childish for teenagers. That said, if you enjoy a dark, grotesque folk tale that has not been sanitised by the Disney franchise, then this will suit you down to the ground. Personally, I left the theatre with the feeling that part of the promise that the show made was left unfulfilled.

Steve Burbridge.