15th-17th January

Studio Theatre, mac

"Put 95 youngsters aged 9 to 19 on stage in one of theatre's classic poetic dramas and the result is staggering. Liz Light keeps the action in a shadowy red twilight and backs it with repetitive, hypnotic music while her company produces superbly drilled commitment. Mel Birkill is a tower of strength in the central role and Cressida Gaffney a wonderfully assured Mephistophilis but this is above all a team effort. An astonishing massed chorus exhibits an almost ant-like togetherness in its utterances, its movements and its excellently sustained stillnesses. The moments when it clings motionless on and around a staircase like a crimson wasps' nest are startlingly memorable." Evening Mail.

We were also visited by members of the Worldwide Marlowe Society who wrote a superlative review - "Breathtaking... crystal clear... perfection ...The ultimate in synchronisation... I was in awe at this incredibly committed set of youngsters with their director of undoubted talent... A fantastic achievement!"