REVIEW: Dreams and reality get muddled in a spellbinding adaptation of Skellig at The Hawth

I attended the Parkwood Productions adaptation of David Almond’s Skellig at The Hawth studios last night (April 1), and was astonished by the excellent performances of the ensemble cast.

For those who don’t know, the plot involves a 12-year-old Michael moving house, and his baby sister becomes ill in hospital and it seems that the character’s whole world has been turned upside down.

Exploring the crumbling garage of Michael’s new home, he makes an extraordinary discovery in the dust and junk. A strange creature, Skellig together with his new friend Mina set out on a beautiful adventure.

The production stars a whole host of actors with a variety of experiences on stage and on screen. A particular favourite performance of mine was Andrew Colter’s portrayal of Michael as he was able to capture the trauma of going through a family illness.

Another performance worth noting was Alasdair Macrae’s performance of Skellig as he brought a lot of Gaelic charm and wit to the role. Number 27 and 53…

As always, Parkwood Productions utilised their community cast very well and they played a pivotal role in the physical theatre element of the performance, especially when the characters Michael and Mina learn to fly.

Physical theatre had a key role in the minimalism of the performance and I particularly liked the use of a baby jumper to represent Michael’s sister.

The themes of mythology and death were explored with the lighting design, adding to Skellig's ancientness and mystery.

It comes as no surprise that one of the stand out elements of the production was Skellig’s wings, which seemed to play its own role in the performance. Once again, it’s worth noting that Alasdair Macrae took to the crookedness of Skellig excellently.

Finally, I found the choice of soundtrack excellent. Prince’s ‘When Doves Cry’ was very fitting to the performance.

See more: 'A hauntingly beautiful and inventive production' - Skellig at the Hawth Studio - review, Crawley's home-grown Skellig gets ready for the stageThe more I get the opportunity to attend a Parkwood Productions' show, the more excited I get to see the next one. You can still grab a ticket for this wonderful performance of Skellig by visiting: https://www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/The-Hawth