Review: OF MICE AND MEN, Octagon Theatre Bolton - Tour
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
The original 1937 novella by John Steinbeck is a classic piece of literature frequently studied in schools across the country, and this new production of Of Mice and Men offers another way for people to experience this American tale.
A co-production between Octagon Theatre Bolton, Derby Theatre, Hull Truck and Theatre By The Lake, this adaptation stays very true to the original story telling of George Milton and Lennie Small, two friends travelling around California together during the Great Depression seeking jobs as ranch workers. Often seen as unusual for two men to travel around together, George acts as Lennie’s guardian and looks out for him as he has learning disabilities, and together the two share a dream of one day having their own place and not having to work for anyone else ever again. Since the production stays very true to the original text, it does feature its fair share of racial slurs and misogynistic comments, as well as several profanities - such “offensive language” that caused the original book to be proposed for censorship several times, but people have fought for it to be preserved as written due to its literary significance.
In the spirit of staying true to the original text, casting for this production has taken attributes of Steinbeck’s characters into consideration and casted accordingly to include actors with the lived experiences of some of the characters. Crooks is played by Jeff Alexander who, like the character, has sustained a major back injury. Candy is played by Benjamin Wilson, and both the actor and the original character have different disabilities: Candy in the original novella has a limb difference, and Wilson is a visually impaired actor. One of the two main protagonists of the story, Lennie, has learning disabilities, and to make the role on this long tour more accessible for a performer with learning disabilities, the role of Lennie is shared by Luke Richards and Wiliam Young, with Young performing on the press night. All three of these characters are played brilliantly, with the lived experiences of the actors adding authenticity to each of their roles, and it just goes to show that theatre can be accessible and that diversity in casting should be welcomed, especially if it means a character can be played truthfully. There is also an integrated creative audio description performed in character by the actors, which is available to audience members to make it more accessible to those that require it, as well as adding an extra layer to the production for other audience members who opt to listen in.
The rest of the talented cast features Liam King as George, Stefan Race as Curley, Emma Charlton as Curley’s Wife, John Elkington as The Boss, Laurence Pears as Slim, Tom Fletcher as Carlton, and Afton Moran as Whit, although due to last minute illness, Moran was unable to perform and instead Elkington took on an additional role for the performance and played the role of Whit script-in-hand, which was surprisingly quite seamless and was very well done by Elkington. One additional character who appears right at the start of the performance but is not billed in the programme is a lady in a red dress, referencing the lady involved in the events prior to the story’s beginning who forces George & Lennie to run from their previous ranch. There is also a wonderful puppet of Candy’s dog that features in the first act that has been made and directed by John Barber, but the onstage puppeteer is again not billed; It seems that both roles were played by one of the Assistant Stage Managers, but it is unclear.
Set and costume for the production is designed by Jess Curtis, which gives a simplistic yet rustic feel and is just the right amount of set to create the scene and tone with Simeon Miller’s lighting design and Ivan Stott’s sound design to complement it. Sarah Brigham’s direction for the most part is excellent throughout the play, but there are some points of the story, particularly breaks between dialogue, that feel a little rushed and don’t allow space for moments to settle before continuing on with the next line or scene, which at times takes away the intensity and gravitas of some moments.
A classic American tale that has solidified itself in literary history, this is a wonderful production of Of Mice and Men which, with a little more breathing room amongst the scenes, could allow an already fantastic cast to take the production closer to a perfectly breathtaking portrayal of Steinbeck’s story.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Jess Dalloway