Fantastic voyage

The Beautiful Journey

Wildworks

Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth

Review by Lee Trewhela

I DOUBTED anything could better Cornish-based Wildworks' Souterrain a couple of years ago when the audience travelled, jaws gaping, with the players through the Gates of Hell, alternatively known as Dolcoath Mine at Camborne.

But The Beautiful Journey is even more ambitious and awe-inspiring; thought-provoking and honest to goodness fun in equal measure.

From the off, this is an adventure – you enter through the imposing gates of the Mutton Cove naval base, gravely noticing the sign warning of official secrets, and are then permitted through the Welcome Gate to what appears to be the last bastion of humanity, "a doubtful island" surrounded by the sea.

Hermes, an Immortal (a cheeky Samuel Gardes, sporting wings on his silver trainers) guides us through the story where we meet Kalypso, Queen of the Island (Agnieszka Blonska) and Kassandra (Sue Hill), the eerie sister she blames for the loss of her son at sea.

Elsewhere there is Roger Delves-Broughton, a beached sailor, forever working on his boat but never quite able to leave what is essentially an immigrants' shanty town of the future; not too different to what we're currently seeing near Calais.

The remaining two main characters, among a sea of villagers and musicians, are Godfrey (the always-watchable Steve Jacobs) and his daughter Rosa (Mae Voogd, who does both innocent and sultry almost too well).

Why is a caged Kassandra transported high above the ocean while chanting the Shipping Forecast? Why does Godfrey only allow Rosa to leave their home for seven minutes? Why is honey such a desired commodity?

All these intriguing questions are answered in what is equal parts modern fairytale, eco-parable, cabaret and unique oddity.

Loss is the key theme – loss of innocence, the planet's core staples and, in the stories of Godfrey and Kalypso, the inevitable letting go of beloved children.

If there's one criticism it's that the design and staging can often detract from the story, but that is excusable when you are confronted with a production as astonishing as this.

The audience is free to walk around the shanty town as the action happens all around; you can order a drink at the island's bar as the musicians perform beside you (an excellent collective featuring members of Cornish folk act Dalla and former Kneehigh man Giles King, in a welcome return to the theatrical scene).

You can enter the memory room where past thoughts are transmitted on screen, or have your Tarot cards read and even get your hair done.

With the spectacle of Kalypso's aerial ride and an unexpected journey into a glacial factory, which provides a truly stunning narrative and visual twist, one has to bow down to the vision of artistic director Bill Mitchell and designer Myriddin Wannell.

While Bill may be the ultimate ringleader this amazing show is down to many – the collaborative artists, performers and film-makers, the choir led by Vicky Abbott (whose final song mesmerised the entire audience), writer and researcher Mercedes Kemp, executive producer UZ Events, associate producers Theatre Royal Plymouth and culture10, the Arts Council whose financial injection made the project possible, and the people of Devonport, whose tales helped shape the storyline.

I can't praise The Beautiful Journey enough and implore everyone to see it before the run ends on June 20 (it then moves to the banks of the River Tyne from July 28 to August 8).

This is a life experience rather than a theatre production, and yet another reason to be proud of Cornish arts.

Let Wildworks steal two hours of your life – you'll be glad you lost it.