[Stage Review] Carpe Jugulum - Peculiar Productions
We visited The Gate Theatre in Cardiff to see the Thursday show of Carpe Jugulum. This was the second night of the run which continues until Saturday.
We've seen many productions at the The Gate Theatre over the years and have previously seen Carpe Jugulum here a few years ago.
The first thing I noticed upon entering the auditorium was the large castle wall stage - previous productions here are usually pretty barren so it would be interesting to see what use they would make of the castle wall.
While sets are interesting it's the cast that make or break a production and I have to say that Peculiar productions appear to have a great ensemble of actors to call upon. Granny doesn't have a lot to do until after the intermission so it's up to Nanny (Eloise Dickinson-Smith) and Agnes / Perdita (Alex Butterworth / Sian Kirby) to step up and luckily they are all very good as is Kyle O'Kane as the Count De Magpyr. Jacob Henry as Agnes' love interest Vlad De Magpyr looks quite a lot like Matt Berry's characters from What We Do In The Shadows (I hope this was intentional).
The chemistry between the Count and Countess De Magpyr (Katherine Vostok) felt a little superficial; this is a couple that have been in love for centuries. It felt very on / off and I felt that when walking apart a lingering look might have helped sell their relationship. This in no way distracts from the overall performance.
It's in the second half that Bex Jackson as Granny, that moves the production forward. It must be tough to perform Granny at her weakest and dependant on the help of Neil Chappell as Mightily Oats. But a real bond forms between them with Granny "helping" Oats through the mud on the trip to Uberwald.
For me though the star of the show was Josh Flynn as Igor. Josh was camping up the accent to eleven and when something terrible happened to Scraps the audience were in pieces.
Talking of Scraps we have to thank Michael Dickinson-Smith who we are more used to seeing play the Patrician taking on an almost silent role as the puppeteer of both the Magpies and Scraps. Michael put so much character into the puppets. I was really impressed.
I was a little disappointed that Angharad Ford as Lacrimosa De Magpyr felt underused but I guess that's the limitations of the play script itself.
Overall I was very impressed with the production. The scene changes were pretty quick and the castle wall was put to good use. I really enjoyed Carpe Jugulum and look forward to seeing Peculiar Productions next Discworld production The Fifth Elephant in Spring 2027.