Stray Dogs at Theatre503

The way things are going it will not be too long before I can get an AI to write this for me using a few prompt words because there is a predictable regularity about my visits to Theatre503.

The story always begins with the only issue with going to a new play at Theatre503 is finding a suitable date with available seats. In this case it was a Thursday evening and the seat was A3 and as I am Over 60 it only cost £6. A bargain is one thing but this was ridiculously cheap.

My original plan was to walk all the way there but I got a bit tied up around Barnes Common (a Pokemon Go thing) and I shortened the walk by taking a train from Barnes to Clapham Junction. 

My previous visit to The Latchmere, the pub below the theatre, had not gone that well so this time I went for a bar snack and that worked very well. The vegetarian chilli was delicious and the portion size was just right too.

Then it was up to the theatre.

I liked the set immediately, mainly due to its simplicity. Small theatres cannot do elaborate sets but they also know that they do not need to and this stage was several things over the evening including a shanty town and a wood. Imagination is brilliant.

Stray Dogs was a dark historical fantasy story about a city with rich merchants inside the wall, poor peasants outside and a dangerous wood beyond that.

The story was rich like a good historical fantasy should be and I will not attempt to summarise it because that would over simplify it. Besides, the story was not really the point, the interplay between the characters was. These were played by Graham Butler,  Abbey Gillett, Ruxandra Porojnicu, Graeme McKnight and Coral Wylie, all of whom were excellent. Abbey Gillett has been nominated for an Offie for Lead Performance in a Play and while I am happy with that hers was not the only performance that really impressed me.

I loved the feel of the play, not surprisingly as I have always loved books like Gormenghast and Stardust, and I was totally engrossed in the story.

This is the bit where I say that Theatre503 keeps on putting on plays this good and that is why I keep going there. Until next time.