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Thursday, September 8, 2005
Warmth of a gem of a show Sam and I, Arundel Festival Fringe
by Sian Webber
… the play is a celebration of their marriage, which although tinged with the darker strain of his infidelity, emerges [through Siobhán Nicholas' beautiful and sensitive portrayal of Elizabeth] as a profoundly affectionate and passionate one…
…With just one bag of minimal props and her skill for transformation, the characters, which people Elizabeth's world, are brought vividly and often amusingly to life in Chris Barnes' excellent production …
…It is the attention to detail and the warmth and ingenuity of the staging which gives this gem of a show its richness and variety. This was story telling of the highest order. |
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November 2005
by Liz Turner [executive director for theatre nomad]
Take the Space's production of Sam & I at the Astor Theatre Arts Centre was a delicately crafted piece based on the diaries of Samuel Pepys and told from the point of view of his wife and servants. It was a story full of tenderness, pathos, humour and irony cleverly framed by opening with a contemporary character who illustrated some parallels between seventeenth and twenty first century life.
The design of the set and costumes were simple but enabled essentially theatrical moments which kept the audience completely engaged. Siobhan Nicholas' effortless and beautifully timed performance did full justice to the thoughtful text which she had also written. Her meticulous attention to detail made her characters live and seem like familiar friends. |
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Revd John Cowling, St Olave's, Hart St, City Of London's Samuel Pepys Tercentenary Festival |
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"This is a play that can travel. it is for Siobhán Nicholas a triumph and a tour de force, in the course of which she presents at least seventeen different characters, whilst keeping our attention movingly focused on the central person. It helps to explain why Sam was entranced as well as exasperated by her and left the beautiful and elegantly worded memorial to her in the church..." |
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Frazer Swift, Deputy Head of Access & Learning, Museum of London |
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"Siobhán Nicholas gave a powerful and moving performance in SAM AND I. Her ability to single-handedly captivate the audience was remarkable. The performance was very well received by our knowledgeable audience and was one of the highlights of our programme of events marking the 300th anniversary of Pepys' death and supporting our Pepys' London exhibition" |
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Reviews