We popped over to Abingdon for Unicorn Theatres production of Terry Pratchett: A Trip On The Stage the latest adaptation by Stephen Briggs.
We didn't know what to expect coming to this production as the play isn't based on any one particular book. In fact there wasn't any clues as to what would be included in the production.
It turns out that A Trip On The Stage is a collection of sketches from Terry's career and not just Discworld.
The play starts with Stephen Briggs as Lord Vetinari giving part of the Patrician's address to Terry's Memorial from 2016. The audience we not so subtlety told that their mobile devices were to be turned off or made silent.
The first actual skit was where Terry first started with The Hades Business. I don't think I've every seen The Hades Business performed before. Its a fun little story and the performances were really fun with Avery Robinson and Hamilton Brown playing well against each other.
Next up was How People Think (a scene from Guards! Guards!) - sadly for me the two Guards! Guards! skits were the weakest of the play. The scenes went on for a bit too long and for me were really not very funny.
Riddle of the Sphinx came next which is a fun scene from Pyramids - I was particularly impressed with Kat Steiner's Sphinx costume.
We then headed back into The Summoning - the second visit to Guards! Guards! and again for me the weakest part of the production. Jon Shepherd as the Grand Master tried hard to keep the scene moving along but it seem bogged down in dialog.
We were then transported to the Unseen University for A Thursday at UU. I quite enjoyed the interaction of the wizards. Matt Kirk played Ridcully with panache.
Another non Discworld scene next. A Hard Drive to Believe in Santa is based on a short story that Terry wrote about believe and a computer that wouldn't work without his Teddy Bear. A story that Terry would eventually reuse in Hogfather where Hex would not work without his FTB. I quite like that Stephen had updated the script to make more sense in the 2020s compared to the original story which might seem dated now.
The first half of the show was concluded with part of Sea and little fishes - a not so short story about the witches asking Granny not to enter the witch trials to give the other witches change to win. In the first part the scene was set and later we would revisit the Sea and little fishes for its conclusion,
After a short intermission we returned for the second part which was the Ankh-Morpork National Anthem. I'd seen this performed by The Studio Theatre club before but its always fun to see if performed. Lindsay Rolland did really well as the Soprano but from her body language it was clear that she wasn't comfortable with the performance.
Another break from Discworld was Glastonbury Tales a rather fun poem about a driver picking up a number of very colourful hitchhikers. The poem was fun and once again Matt Kirk gave a top notch performance.
And then we were back on the chalk for the conclusion of Sea and Little Fishes. Granny in pink is something to behold and once again this was another solid performance. But and this is a personal bug bear of mine, can we pick a pronounciation of Gytha Ogg and stick to it. I think I heard about three of four variations of the name.
Next was the summoning scene from Eric. Where young Eric thinks Rincewind is a demon. It's a lovely little character moment and very enjoyable.
And then we were back at the UU for the True Spirit of Hogswatch with Matt Kirk one again donning Ricully's robes, and Dan Booth continuing as Rincewind from the previous scene.
Proceedings concluded with a rendition of Troll Bridge. It's a great little scene with Cohen, a horse and Mica the troll. Troll Bridge made famous by Daniel Knight's Snowgum Films adaption (which you can see legally for free on YouTube). Troll Bridge is a great story about remembering the past, keeping traditions alive and going out for one last fight.
For the most part I really enjoyed the production. As mentioned before I felt the scenes from Guards! Guards! went on a little too long and with the vast amount of material available it's a shame that a more varied selection of scenes were not chosen. Still another fun day out and I can't wait to see what Stephen comes up with next.
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A second opinion by Andrea Richardson
It was great to make another visit to the lovely town of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, with a large number of STP fans earlier this month. We all met for brunch at the excellent Crown & Thistle pub, before venturing over to the Unicorn Theatre.
A Trip On The Stage is a compilation of dramatized short stories, articles, and snippets from various novels by Sir Terry Pratchett. This is a brand new adaptation by Stephen Briggs, who has adapted Terry’s work for the stage many times before, which I have also seen, so it was good to see the comparison between a full stage play and this new production.
This collection was made up of several of Terry’s short stories and sketches, brought to life for the stage. The wide variety of stories was excellent, and the audience seemed to enjoy them all. The production opened with Stephen appearing as Lord Vetinari, giving us some words from his address at Terry’s memorial.
The first sketch was Terry’s first published story, The Hades Business, in which the Devil tries to promote Hell as a tourist destination, but soon realises it isn’t all it’s cracked to be. There was then a wide variety of scenes and sketches, 14 in total. The pacing of the pieces was very good, with the longer one, Sea & Little Fishes, being split into two parts, which worked very well.
Our journey through the Discworld included When Summoning Goes Wrong from Eric, a scene from Troll Bridge, A Hard Drive to Believe in Santa (clever use of a representation of the talking computer here), and The Riddle of The Sphinx. In between these, Stephen popped in and out as Narrator, introducing each story with his smooth tones.
All the actors took on multiple roles, which must have been very hard work. According to the programme one actor appeared in 7 different pieces! The highlights for me were Sea & Little Fishes, with wonderful characterisation of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. Cohen and the troll told a melancholic story, though it was a little difficult to hear the troll through their costume. I also enjoyed the energy between Eric and Rincewind in When Summoning Goes Wrong.
The sets were kept minimal to allow for easy scene changes, which worked well. Costumes were all very good – special mention to The Sphinx, and Cohen in his furs (and the horse!).
I really enjoyed this production – it had committed performances and thoughtful direction, with lots of variety to interest both the hardcore Pratchett aficionado and the uninitiated newbie. It must have been very difficult for Stephen to pick from so much of Terry’s extensive work. Well done to all the cast and crew for a great show.
Unicorn Theatre is closing down for refurbishment in 2026 so we may not see another Pratchett production for some time, but I really hope we get A Trip On The Stage 2 in the future.
Andrea Richardson