Lottery-backed Red Cape’s time-travelling, genre-busting new production tells stories that matter

Funded by Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant and commissioned by Corn Exchange Newbury with support from South Street Arts, Proteus Theatre and University of Exeter, Reading-based Cape Theatre’s The Luminous is part Victorian thriller, part contemporary tale of friendship and rebellion. The time-travelling, genre-busting new show Red Cape Theatre's unique blend of physical theatre, dark comedy and gripping storytelling. It recently kicked of its tour in Newbury.

Red Cape Theatre: The Luminous

at the Corn Exchange

on Wednesday, September 25

Review by ROBIN STRAPP

THIS was the first night of the Reading-based Red Cape Theatre tour and the first time they had performed The Luminous to an audience.

Founded by Cassie Friend and Rebecca Loukes, the company have garnered an impressive reputation for producing strong physical theatre and challenging storytelling and The Luminous continues this tradition.

The set, designed by Tina Bicât, has a white model of a large hospital building dominating the back of the stage and a smaller model of a town at the front, all beautifully lit by Adrian Croton.

Three friends who work for the NHS – splendidly played by Catherine Dyson, Cassie Friend and Rebecca Loukes – meet to establish a book club and discuss their chosen work, Luminous, a dark Victorian melodrama set in lurid London.

At each weekly session they explore a chapter, with the title projected on to a screen using an old-fashioned overhead projector. The cast multi-role, playing Alice, the Emcee and Mags as well as all the other characters, cleverly changing simple costumes to help create the roles.

The stories all have women as the central character and are vividly portrayed.

There’s a Jack the Ripper tale, with horrendous murders; an account of the appalling conditions that the girls working in Bryant and May’s match factory had to endure, suffering from handling phosphorous, losing their teeth and bones “glowing under their skin”.

A hilarious scene in pantomime style where a ‘body’ was dissected brought much light comic relief.

There are many references to protests including the Greenham Common women fighting against the nuclear missiles at the US airbase and the Reclaim the Night in response to the death of Sarah Everard.

As the wine flows at the meetings the women share their own personal experiences and female friendships grow as the subject matter of the book begins to morph with their present day situations.

There is much to like in this somewhat lengthy production which would benefit from some judicious cutting. However the message of the value of book clubs and the coming together to share experiences comes across strongly.

Catherine Dyson has written an intriguing play that raises important questions and Sabina Netherclift’s assured direction ensures that these issues have a voice.