Transfixed by this cinematic stage adaptation
It is a hugely technical production, a televisual masterpiece so technically brilliant you forget you are in a theatre.
It was great to see so many young people at the Theatre Royal this week for the new stage version of the bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code.
Large groups of youngsters piled into the seats of the great theatre for what turned out to be an amazing spectacle.
It is a hugely technical production, a televisual masterpiece so technically brilliant you forget you are in a theatre – it is a cinematic experience.
This is a hugely challenging feat for the team behind this new adaptation of the award-winning novel, which sold over 100 million copies and took the world by storm when it came out in 2003.
Dan Brown’s book, which challenges long-held beliefs of ancient history and religion as well as the art world, has developed a cult following amid generations young and old.
It is a massive story of intrigue, murder and espionage going back into ancient history and the quest for the Holy Grail.
Writers of the stage play Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel have done an amazing job bringing this story to life for a live audience.
The audience sees the clues and codes on a massive screen on stage, scenes are transformed on screen with mesmerising lighting and huge technical production and sound.
It really brings the theatre to life, the stage is transformed into a cinematic wonder aided by massive screens and technicolour.
Downton Abbey’s Nigel Harman plays the nerdy and unlikely hero Robert Langdon with great belief, and teams together brilliantly with Hannah Rose Caton, who is so charismatic as the young Sophie Neveu.
The pair work well and there is great chemistry and pace in the plot and scene changes.
We the audience are almost part of the action as we see on screen the codes they are trying to crack.
The technical team have achieved a remarkable result in the staging of this iconic book. They faced a huge challenge as the sets are almost operatic in size and stature – old churches, a country estate, The Louvre in Paris.
They have given this story a new life and the audience at the Theatre Royal was transfixed as they raced through this difficult plot with great clarity and technical brilliance.
It is something very new and refreshing for the Theatre Royal and audiences young and old will love it whether they have read the book or not. It has taken on a life of its own with scenes which tell the story and delight visually.
The Da Vinci Code is at the Theatre Royal Bath until Saturday, February 5. For tickets visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk or ring the box office on 01225 448844.