Jack Studio Theatre – until 4 January 2020
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
The Christmas offering at The Jack is always a treat, and this year’s production of The Invisible Man is a silly but classy delight.
A mysterious stranger swathed in bandages turns up in the sleepy village of Iping and immediately raises the suspicions of the locals. Griffin’s experiments have led to his becoming invisible, and he soon takes advantage of his situation to exact revenge on the society that have always made him feel ignored and belittled. HG Wells’ classic has been adapted with great wit by Derek Webb, ramping up the comedy and keeping exposition to the minimum. Wells’ more serious themes of freedom, anonymity and immorality are still here, but the daft and deft theatrical tricks that surround them keep the production light-hearted.
With a cast of three playing 15 parts, there are a lot of quick changes, but each character becomes easily recognisable thanks to Martin Robinson’s costume design and the actors’ skill under Kate Bannister’s expert direction. The set and sound design (Karl Swinyard and Philip Matejtschuk) add to the magic, with Griffin’s disembodied voice sneering from all around the theatre, and a signpost that takes a starring role among the other prop gags.
The cast are tremendous, with Shaun Chambers hissably deranged as Griffin and hilarious as the three dim-witted policemen on his trail; Matthew Parker is a joy as landlady Mrs Hall, the gossiping Rev Bunting and a bizarre mariner who would be at home in an old Will Hay film and Scott Oswald throws himself around the stage as Griffin’s unwilling sidekick Marvel most convincingly as he is assaulted by the invisible man. They work together brilliantly, and the energy never drops in this fast-paced production. Witty, irreverent and charming, this Invisible Man is a must see.