‘Around the World in Eighty Days’

Pitlochry Festival Theatre - 30/07/22

Another outdoor production to delight this reviewer, the fourth this season. The rain held off and the sun shone. We are seated facing the bandstand at the side of the River Tay with the revamped Festival Theatre behind us. A sell-out crowd of adults and family groups in picnic chairs looking forward to another family show. Written during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, Jules Verne was in difficult financial straits. He needed a success, and this proved to be the one. It was a massive hit, with some readers believing it was really happening. The idea of travelling around the world was not a new one and was popular before Verne published the book in 1873.  Since then, it has entered popular mythology and has been re-invented for theatre, film, television and even video games. The production for Pitlochry by Mark Powell takes the elements that we think we know and turns them into a captivating afternoon of fun and delight.  

For a start, the famous bet is between Phileas Fog and Queen Victoria, Passepartout is a woman, and somehow Calamity Jane saves the day. There is an inflatable Sphinx, an inflatable walking elephant, a vintage car and of course they ride home to Pitlochry and the Queen in a hot air balloon. All with delightful songs and audience encouragement along with re-writing Victorian attitudes to women.  

With regular Richard Colvin as Fogg and a strong ensemble of seven including comic turns by ‘brokers men’ James Hudson and Connor Going, Blythe Jandoo as Jean, Jessica Brydges as Calamity Jane, multiple characters by Marc Small and Nalân Burgess and the best part of all, Rhiane Drummond as Queen Victoria.  A talented ensemble, some who will be appearing tonight in another show. This is a guaranteed success for the team at Pitlochry and runs through on Saturday afternoon until the 17th of September. Well worth catching!  

Cover photo: Angus Findlay