Krindlekrax - a cracking show!

The Close production is always a highlight of the Drama calendar, bringing with it an opportunity to display the talents of new and upcoming young performers. Under the thoughtful direction of Mr Lees, the cast of over twenty really stepped up to the plate, providing an entertaining production of ‘Krindlekrax’ by Philip Ridley. 

The play is set on Lizard Street, the friendliest street in the world, where Ruskin Splinter (played with an impressive believability by James Bartram) dreams of being the hero in his school play. But he does not look much like a hero. His parents (Hugo Woodcock and Ted Revill) do not believe in him. There’s only one boy who could possibly play that role: the school bully, Elvis (Harry McCaughey, who used his height to great comic effect particularly when interacting with his sidekick, Daniel Shand). However, this play is not just a backstage drama. There is a monster of some sort living in the sewers that is brought to Ruskin’s attention by the caretaker Corky Pigeon (confidently conveyed by Charles Tiedeman). 

There were a host of other memorable performances – too many to mention here – that drove the comic elements of the piece but particular stand outs for me were George Bloch as Mr Flick and Luke Hayward as Mrs Cave. The empty black box staging, allowed this multi-scene play to progress at a fast pace, with the use of music and an energetic ensemble—who more than held their own with the leads—effectively used to establish each scene. The bold colours for each family also helped identify the relationships between the characters, and the bold set piece of the dragon really took the audience’s breath away. The piece ended with a musical number that brought the world to rights and the audience clapped enthusiastically. 

Tim Silk, Director of Drama