Review: A Leap In The Dark at New Vic Theatre*

[Ad-gifted] Based on a radio play by Ron Hutchinson and Alisa Taylor, A Leap in The Dark currently running at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme is a comedy which has been adapted for the stage (a funny reverse-twist to the plot).

Set in the 1920s when the BBC first commanded the airwaves, it deals with the complete unknown of creating a drama that an audience hear but not see. The brave folk at the BBC decide to commission a play from an avant-garde playwright and then deliver it live, breaking new ground for on-air entertainment.

My impression of A Leap in the Dark

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin…

First on stage is the delectable Miss Gumby, assistant to Mr Maud of the BBC… and she came in with a fizz and a bang, the audience immediately warming to her charm. Miss Gumby gets hired by the BBC and is clearly more intelligent than her Oxbridge-educated boss, pretty much carrying him through the task of looking for a director to oversee the BBC’s first-ever radio play.

Sir Nigel Playfair is one of theatre’s current leading lights, so the BBC ask if he would direct the play – but he isn’t interested until they suggest that Noel Coward might make a better job of it… Sir Playfair would rather spend time perfecting his marmalade recipe. However, on this occasion, he cannot let Noel Coward steal his thunder.
Young up-and-coming playwright, Richard Hughes gets hired to write a script, but when he returns with a sketch about three Welsh miners getting stuck in a mine, it is considered nothing short of a disaster. The attitudes and values of 1920’s Britain loom large, with fears of Bolshevism penetrating the British public, a highbrow approach to the arts and the poor director even clinging onto the notion that his voice actors should present themselves in evening dress for the recording. By now, the wonderful May Playfair has inserted herself into the middle of the action, hilariously taking part in the final live delivery of the BBC’s first-ever radio play.

As a child, we had no television in our house. We had my father’s Grundig radio, always tuned in to Radio 4, and my first memory of it was Listen with Mother. “Are you sitting comfortably?” a gentle voice asked, and we scrambled to the kitchen table to draw while we listened. Fast-forward a few years and, equipped with two tape recorders, some old cassettes, and pens and paper, we were writing radio plays of our own. This is one reason why tonight’s performance resonated so much with me… the sound effects that the cast produced with a mop bucket, a stick of celery, some old veg… that is just what you do: you have to get creative with audio. The director warns them, “Be careful not to let your papers rustle.” The beautifully choreographed ‘quiet’ page-turning was a delight. And what about forgetting their lines? They didn’t even get some of their lines! Miss Gumby hadn’t quite finished copying them out, leading to some nifty improvisation… it was hilarious but very believable.

Every one of the actors performed brilliantly. Three of the cast of eight were making their debut appearance at the New Vic in this production, and they all worked like a charm together – but little wonder: the programme is packed with credits from their previous performances, from stage to screen. The director, Caroline Wilkes is backed by crew of eight creatives, from casting to voice coach, and I hope they are very proud of how great this production is: I would watch it all again.

Cast

Suzanne Ahmet as May Playfair
Angela Bain as Lady Hartley, Mrs Stanley
Madeleine Leslay as Rita Hartley and others
Alyce Liburd as Grace Gumby
Perry Moore as Cedric Maude
Ben Norris as Richard Hughes, Hector
Robert Pickavance as Mr Bigsby and others
Andrew Pollard as Nigel Playfair

Creatives

Director Caroline Wilkes*
Pre-production Development Gwenda Hughes
Designer Lis Evans
Lighting & Projection Designer Daniella Beattie
Composer & Sound Designer Oliver Vibrans
Choreographer Beverley Norris-Edmunds
Casting Director Anji Carroll CDG
Assistant Director Mandeep Glover
Company Stage Manager Steve Hall
Deputy Stage Manager Lisa Mellor
Assistant Stage Manager Jacob Anderson

*Due to illness, Caroline Wilkes replaces Gwenda Hughes to direct this production.

How much do the tickets to A Leap In The Dark cost?

Tickets are on sale now, priced from £10 to £30.50.

Concessions: £2.00 off
Group Discounts: £2.00 off for ten or more
Four Friends for £92
Under 16s Go Free
Under 26s Go Free

How do I book tickets to watch A Leap In The Dark?

Tickets are now on sale and available from the Box Office, by calling 01782 717962 or visit the New Vic Theatre’s website here.

How long is the show for and what are the timings?

A Leap In The Dark will be running until Saturday, 2 March 2024 with evening shows at 7.30pm and Matinee at 2.15pm. There will be no performances on 11, 14, 18, 19, 25 and 26 February. Please check New Vic’s website for full schedule details.

Interpreted Performances:

Captioned: Tue 27 February, 7.30pm
Audio described: Sat 2 March, 2.15pm

Where is New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme?

New Vic Theatre
Etruria Road
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Staffordshire
ST5 0JG

The theatre has a large car park, with a £2 charge on show days. Only contactless card payment is currently accepted for parking charges.

The theatre café is open 10am to 3pm, Monday to Saturday – then from 5.30pm for pre-show meals.

Booking is required for pre-show meals 5.30pm onwards, via their booking system at this link.

About The New Vic Theatre

Founded in 1962, the New Vic is the producing theatre for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. With around eight major productions a year, its varied programme includes contemporary drama, new commissions, adaptations and classics. Recent productions have toured nationally and internationally, and have transferred to London and Manchester. The New Vic has developed extensive and award-winning community involvement. It works regionally, nationally and internationally through its education department and New Vic Borderlines, which aims to change the lives of the most disadvantaged members of the community. The New Vic is funded by Arts Council England, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

About Arts Council England

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture.  By 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences.  Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help deliver this vision.

Keeping you safe

To help you enjoy your visit, the New Vic has put measures in place to help all visitors feel as comfortable as possible:

• Please feel free to wear a face covering while at the New Vic, when walking around the venue and during the performance.
• They ask all guests to be mindful of fellow audience members when at the theatre, who may prefer to continue to keep a distance from other theatregoers while in their spaces.
• They have hand sanitiser stations positioned around the theatre, free to use by all. They are maintaining their high levels of cleanliness throughout the building, ensuring all spaces and contact surfaces are regularly sanitised.

Feeling unwell? If you, or a member of your party, are exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 prior to your visit, they politely ask you do not attend the theatre. If this is the case, please speak to a member of their box office team who will be able to talk you through options to exchange your tickets.

Review by: Metia Bethell Egan

You may also want to read this:

Review: Do I Love You? at New Vic Theatre

Review: A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction at New Vic Theatre

Review: Ladies’s Day at New Vic Theatre

Photo Credit: New Vic Theatre/Andrew Billington