Another hot day in Barnsley though the temperature in the Lamproom wasn’t tested because the audience was woefully small.  In fact the performing team was probably greater than the audience!

University Players, Hamburg hit the stage with their co-themed two One-Act plays on Mary Shelley and her created monster.  The ambience generated by the Greek Theatre style chorus proved especially effective with excellent choral work, stylish period costume and atmospheric lighting.  The first play “Lift not the Painted Veil” slowly set the scene and nicely established the characters but maybe could have benefited from stronger contrasts from scene to scene and a little more dramatic impact.  Jana Stuven as Old Mary was particularly affecting in her excellent performance.

After the interval the second play “Frankenstein” proved stronger, exploring the sorrows and despair of all the characters.  The young and old creatures were both beautifully developed by Paul Kahre and Jasper Koch respectively, with plenty of cleverly worked choreography and movement.  The creature was even the hero at one point when he saved a girl from drowning in the wonderfully depicted lake, but this got him nowhere in the end!

Throughout this very atmospheric performance there was always wonderful ensemble work put together stylishly and tastefully.

Well done Hamburg.

More tomorrow.

• Karen & Michael Goodman