THEATRE REVIEW: The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk ★★★

The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk

Bristol Old Vic

Friday 27th May 2016

For Emma Rice’s final production as Kneehigh’s Artistic Director, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk is the chosen piece of theatre that graced the Bristol Old Vic to also coincide with the theatre’s 250th Birthday Celebrations, and what a production so fitted to the occasion. Due to this performance being the opening night, views that I may have and stuff that I may have seen may not be the final product as the show is still in preview stages before the Press Night, but with Kneehigh being my favourite theatre company of all time, with The Wild Bride being one of my earliest memories of being at the theatre, I knew that what Kneehigh were to do next, and have done with this production, is bring something truly magnificent and special to Bristol, and I feel very privileged to be able to witness the genius from this astounding company.

So onto the production itself, where the story is told through our two protagonists of the story, Marc & Bella Chagnall, portrayed by Marc Antolin and Audrey Brisson respectfully. These two actors on stage were both flawless in their characters and brought so much charisma and genuinely love towards each of these characters that It was amazing and inspiring to see a relationship so strong on stage already, even in the opening night of the production. It should also be said that there were two other creatives on stage, these being the musicians, Ian Ross and James Gow, who were both playing beautifully throughout with their various instruments, and really complimented Antolin and Brisson’s voices.

What I loved about this production though was how simple the story was between these two lovers, as at not any single point did I find myself drifting off or wondering what was going on, because our two actors on stage enthrilled us with the story and their compassion and conviction, and to have these two really pull you in, and having no one else on stage, to me is a real talent and one that can be quite rare in the industry. I also loved how creative the set was and how everything was used in different ways, from appearing in an almost Mary Poppins bag styled Trunk, to dangling from from the poles that helped define certain scenes from the production, and I had a real love for the technical side to the show, and how the colours and shades reflected the moods of the characters at certain points of the production, and their lives respectfully.

Overall, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk was engaging, powerful, and emotional as I became incredibly draw to these two characters and their love for art, work, and most importantly, each other. I have just bought my ticket also to watch the Kneehigh production of 946 later this year in Warwick, as a result of this incredible work, at the hands of the talented Emma Rice, who we must salute for giving us incredible pieces of theatre that have not only enthralled audiences all over the world, but have made people like me so passionate about the industry!