The performances are lovely and Bob Bailey's café set is perfect with its table and chairs and glass covers for the ideal vegan brownie. Who could fail to warm to these characters? The boy from the Midlands, thrilled by the coastline and the ornithology.
The star of this play for me was Nadine Higgin's Sir Toby Belch. She has magnificent stage presence. I do wonder whether we are meant to like Sir Toby as much as we did? But I loved every moment she was onstage and her interaction with Maria (NadiKemp-Sayfi) was brilliant.
there is Drew McOnie's astounding and meaningful choreography. He has taken on board the occupations of these whalers and labourers and his dance is full of muscular exertion and hard work, amazing leaps and jaw dropping pirouettes. The women haul laundry baskets but dance in pairs with the men controlling them. The men dance earthily to "Blow High, Blow Low" with water droplets thrown over each other, and picked up by the lights in an image I shall never forget.