Stage Dragon: Guildburys Theatre Company’s Jamaica Inn

Published on: 18 Jul, 2024
Updated on: 19 Jul, 2024

By Tricia Marcotti

Bodmin Moor comes to the Surrey Hills courtesy of the Guildburys Theatre Company’s production of Jamaica Inn, instituted as picnic theatre at Merrist Wood College, Worplesdon, until Saturday, July 20.

Ably adapted by Lisa Evans from the novel by Daphne de Maurier, the directors Ian Nichols and Eddie Woolrich have staged the play with “a chorus” reminiscent of a Greek play, which allows the company to give more breadth to present the stark and lonely Bodmin Moor and an “Inn where nobody stops”.

The “chorus” was a bit perplexing at times: was it depicting background voices?; or trees waving in the wind?; or drowning people waving for help?; or…?

There was some singing and some “dancing”, but it added to the atmosphere along with the background track of weather and the creaking pub sign!

As the play progressed, the audience was treated to the (real) moon rising over Bodmin Moor, which was great as a lot of the play took place at night.

Our heroine, Mary Yellan (Rachel Mawditt), is a strong-willed woman, who although having just lost her mother, does as her mother requested and comes to live with her aunt Patience (Claire Racklyeft) and Uncle Joss (Tim Brown) at Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor.

It is a wild, desolate and lonely place, where the coachman tells her: “No one stops at Jamaica Inn”. As the play progresses, we find out why.

Mary with Patience and Joss. Photo: John Sherringham, Front of House Photography.

Tim Brown portrays Joss as a dark and sinister man, quite in keeping with the remoteness of Jamaica Inn, while Claire Racklyeft gives a good impression of a downtrodden Aunt Patience who Rachel Mawditt sees she must save from her uncle Joss’s influence.

As time passed, a number of sinister characters appeared at the inn, including Joss’s brother Jem (Joe Hall), causing Mary to be worried for both her and Patience’s safety.

But, she also meets a handsome stranger, Francis Davey (Neil James), who saves her from a long walk in the rain. Will there be a spot of romance, I wonder?

Scary men on the beach while Mary watches from the rocks. Photo: John Sherringham, Front of House Photography.

The costumes were well thought out and constructed. While not an expert, I have seen a number of period pieces to feel these costumes looked to be of the period the play is set. I loved the boots some of the men wore with their fold-down tops.

The set, as usual with the Guildburys, functioned as different settings within the play: sometimes the inn, sometimes the moor, sometimes a coach and horses, even the rocks overlooking the beach and indeed, the beach itself. The set provided all the elements needed.

As with the chorus, though, sometimes it was a bit puzzling as to what the set was depicting in each particular scene.

Changing the use of the set involved the cast, who added chairs, tables, etc, without interrupting the play’s flow at all.

All in all, this is an intriguing play to watch. So people of Guildford, if you like a picnic, or you like a spot of drama and suspense, head over to www.Guildburys.com to purchase tickets.

The Guildburys are taking this production to the Minack Theatre in Cornwall from August 26 to 29.