Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist
Adapted by the Cornish Theatre Collective
Directed by Dominic Knutton
Aerial puppetry directed by Paul Antonelli

The Dukes, 10 – 11 April 2006

"An Arabian delight"

Playing to a packed house, this stage version of Paulo Coelho's best-selling novel -- the story of a shepherd boy's quest for his dream -- proved a sheer delight from start to finish.

Performed by the Cornish Theatre Collective, a multi-talented cast of actors, musicians and puppeteers, this engaging, thought-provoking story was given vibrant life in a breath-taking production whose pace rarely let up for a moment, and pushed the skills of the performers to the limit.

Utilising simple props -- wigs, Arab attire, four multi-purpose building blocks -- the actors took an entranced, amused audience on Santiago the shepherd boy's quest from Spain to Egypt for a hidden treasure, finding love, mystery and hidden power along the way. The delivery proved intensely spell-binding, scattered with wonderful humour and genuine emotion (particularly at the moment Santiago discovered true love in a distant, dangerous desert oasis.

Fans of the best-selling book will notice some omissions from the text -- but I don't think these affect the overall pace and sheer verve of this version of Coelho's delightful allegory. The author himself is more than happy with the play, saying it really manages "to bring the book to life with intensity, but also with humour" -- and I find no argument there.

Admittedly, the first half of the show seemed better than the first -- perhaps because the second deals with much more of The Alchemist's observation and commentary on life and destiny, open to wide interpretation. However, there is no disputing that the Collective's cast for this tour - David Chittenden, Edward Jaspers, Chand Martinez, Louise Mohammed and Clara Perez -- proved highly skilled, adaptable and enthusiastic performers, from the moment they entered the auditorium, some selling programmes, to the bravura musical performance that marked the end of the show as the audience began to filter away.

Highlights included an incredible aerial display of hawks, battling for survival; the camel ride in the desert; and Santiago's quest to find a way to become the wind and survive another brush with death in the Sahara, accompanied by the eccentric, alchemist of the book's title.

If you get the chance to see this play, do: it is a delight, whether you have read Paulo Coelho's original novel or not. If you have the opportunity to see further productions by the Cornish Theatre Collective, I thoroughly recommend you take it.

© 2006 John Freeman

Web Links
The Cornish Theatre Collective
www.cornish-theatre-collective.co.uk

Buy The Alchemist from Amazon.co.uk: Click Here
The Alchemist has been translated into 56 languages and is listed among the BBC's 100 Big Reads, and was recently voted Most Life Changing Book.

Paulo Coelho's Official Web Site (English version):
www.paulocoelho.com.br/engl