Dan Hutton’s production takes Thomas Kyd’s play of revenge tragedy and turns it inside out – but can this new production win the critics over?
The Guardian: ** Lyn Gardner wrote: “There’s plenty that’s inventive and good, including sound design by Kieran Lucas that you feel as much in your guts as you hear it. The storytelling is clear and the text benefits from being spoken in conversational fashion.”
The Stage: *** Natasha Tripney found: “There are some bold moments here – the play-within-a-play is brilliantly unexpected and forces the audience to think about the nature of what they’ve been watching, the construction of it.”
WhatsOnStage: **Matt Trueman commented:”Impressive though it is to see genuine experimentation on the fringe, The Spanish Tragedy feels like notes towards something tighter.”
Exeunt Magazine: Eleanor Turney called it a: “clear-eyed production of this convoluted play.”
There Ought To Be Clowns: “what is gained in clarity is perhaps lost in characterisation.”
Sketches on Theatre: Miriam Gillinson thought: “It’s a clever but clinical show – one that gets the brain whirring but fails to quicken the pulse.”
Underrated Theatre: “This production was incredibly engaging and its combination of set, sound and light are worth taking note of.”
Partially Obstructed View: “This minimalist take on The Spanish Tragedy has mixed success – cutting a revenge epic down to just six actors (and only Drage and Wan even do any doubling of roles) is tricky but expertly done.”
The Spanish Tragedy is on at the Old Red Lion Theatre until the 5th March. For more information and to book tickets visit: http://www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk/the-spanish-tragedy.html.