GLOBETROTTER’S ADVENTURE LIGHT-HEARTED, HILARIOUS
Show 25: Around the World in 80 Days
Where: Redeemer Christian High School
Director: Ashley Visser
“A true Englishman doesn’t joke when he is talking about so serious a thing as a wager.” This statement was more than proven in Redeemer Christian High School’s production of Around the World in 80 Days. Complete with enthusiastic performances, a dynamic set and a brilliant use of sound, this hilarious play will leave audiences seeking their own adventures, no matter how dangerous they may be.
Adapted from the classic 1873 adventure novel by Jules Verne, Mark Brown’s play retells the story of Mr. Phileas Fogg, a meticulous, math-minded member of the Reform Club, as he seeks adventure in the hustle and bustle of 1870s London.
After getting into an argument with his fellow club members regarding the authenticity of an article in the local newspaper, Fogg finds himself locked into a stiff wager that forces him to race against the clock and travel around the world in a mere 80 days. Even more, with Fogg ’s strange bargain and the publication of a story in the local paper framing Fogg for robbery, he becomes the prime suspect to one determined detective, creating one more obstacle in Fogg’s extravagant voyage across the globe.
With the help of Passepartout, his eccentric French servant, and Aouda, a beautiful Indian woman he meets along the way, Fogg may just accomplish his task, all the while learning valuable lessons about love, friendship and the spontaneity that accompanies just a little bit of adventure.
Around the World in 80 Days was an extreme success for its author, Jules Verne, earning him countless film and stage adaptations, as well as numerous reallife imitations as people tried their own luck at a trip around the world in 80 days.
Thomas Gay gave an authentic performance as the quick-thinking, upper-class Englishman, Mr. Phileas Fogg. Throughout the play, Gay never skipped a beat, giving a consistent and intriguing portrayal of the levelheaded leader of the group. Every decisive stride across the stage and sharply delivered line shared Fogg’s strong personality and wit with brilliant coherence.
Most notable was Gay’s scene with love interest Aouda, played by Mary Ellen Cameron, as he contemplated her beauty aloud, the first true uncertainty the character had felt throughout the entirety of the play evident in every line of his face. Gay did a fantastic job conveying the changes within his character as he presented the development of a once-organized man brought to disarray by love.
Alongside Gay was Nathaniel Harper as the hilariously dramatic Passepartout, always his loyal and willing assistant. Throughout the show, Harper captivated the audience with his outrageous French accent and perfect delivery of comedic lines. Harper also presented an extremely physical depiction of his energetic character, even exiting the stage with a somersault near the end of one scene.
With a simple and creative use of set, the primary focus was left on the show’s actors, yet the symbolic depiction of the face of a watch as a backdrop helped to communicate the production’s message and fit the overall theme of the play extremely well. With only a few benches and a table accompanied by seamless choreography and an expert use of lighting and sound, the students were able to depict countless scene changes — anything from elephants to train cars — with great success.
Redeemer Christian touched the audience with its lighthearted presentation of Around the World in 80 Days, reminding everyone what it truly means to be adventurous.
Next review: Almonte and District High School’s production of Leading Ladies.
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