The Emperor and the Nightingale
adapted by Neil Duffield from the story by Hans Andersen
showing at the Dukes, Lancaster

I saw this on Friday, at the Dukes. Even as you go in the scenery, designed by Dee Sitwell, is striking - huge yellow banners hanging down, beautifully made red fretwork screens with bird and animal carvings. In the theatre with me were about 240 year 7 pupils from Ripley St Thomas (full marks for polite, considerate behaviour, by the way - I was particularly stunned by the boy from the row in front of me who explained to me that he was delighted to get to see the play, but sad to be missing RE …… I kid you not) and a coachload of seniors from a club in Arnside. And the reviewers forming a cordon sanitaire, on the row between. I had thought of stealing a child to come to see the show with, but the only one I know who wasn't at school that day was already nabbed by the Lancaster Guardian. So I had to make do with interrogating Ripleyites at the interval in the queue for the ladies (under the eagle eye of their teacher, I hasten to add).

The first half of the play, before the interval, takes a while to get going. I felt that the part of the sinister Li Si, played by Declan Wilson, could have been milked rather more - in his duet with the Young Emperor Wu, played by Andrew Norris, you get an shivery feeling of what a mean, cold, Darth Vadery kind of guy he is. We were rapt. A bit more of this please.

Thushani Weerasekera revelled in the pivotal role of Xiao, the Emperor's servant. She's a natural comedienne, with a sparkling face, and perfect in the part. Maeve Larkin, who plays the Nightingale, has a very fine voice for the Chinese sound of the nightingale song. All the girls from Ripley I spoke to thought her singing was the best bit of the first half.

The second half was completely different, with audience participation - booing, cheering (led very ably by the Arnside seniors who showed the kids the way) and a mad scramble by a very naughty monkey - (Declan again, really hitting the spot this time) through the audience drove the kids frantic with excitement. If during the first half it was unclear what we had come to see - a musical, a play or an upmarket panto, in the second half these questions evaporated in the fun.

Janet Bamford's commanding performance as the Tiger King making an eerie entrance back from the land of the dead was great - visually gripping and exotic. It was slightly marred by the outbreak of paroxysmal coughing and choking from the first 5 rows of the audience when the clouds of dry ice smoke rolled over them. Sitting up at the back, watching the white cloud roll over the choking audience row by row the effect was slightly more Moscow than Beijing. Doubtless this will be corrected in subsequent productions - the weak chested might want to think about sitting up at the back.

Robin Samson as the Dragon King was a warm and sympathetic character and all in all the show was well worth the price of the ticket. It's not your traditional Xmas Show - the Dukes has always given us something a bit special at Xmas and they've done it again. As a way of introducing youngsters to the theatre I'd say this would be an excellent start. And the seniors from Arnside? Their verdict: 'It was absolutely beautiful, beautiful. Lovely costumes.' Well, there you go then.