By Richard Watson
This Christmas, Huddersfield Thespians bring a globe-trotting adventure for all the family to Longwood Mechanics Hall.
Wealthy Victorian gentleman Phileas Fogg sets out on October 2, to prove that he can travel around the world in just eighty days – but can he do it? It won’t be easy: the railways aren’t all finished, bandits lie in wait, and Scotland Yard are chasing him down.
Can Fogg make it home in time for Christmas? More importantly, he’s got money riding on it. He’s bet half his fortune that he can make the journey in only eighty days – that’s nearly £2.5m in today’s money!
Thespians newcomer Narinder Uppal, whose character befriends Fogg on his adventure, said: “I’ve been wanting to work with the Thespians for a while and I love this story of friendship, love and pulling together.”
This stage adaptation of Jules Verne’s well-loved book takes us from the misty alleys of London to the exotic Indian subcontinent and on to the Wild West, and should be great Christmas fun.
A cast of eight play nearly 50 characters between them, and there’s a special guest appearance from Mr Jules Verne himself.
Between them, they tell the story of Fogg’s incredible journey with his hapless French valet Passepartout, and all the remarkable figures they meet along the way.
Meanwhile, Scotland Yard’s persistent Inspector Fix hounds them from port to port, watching for the chance to strike.
Frequent Thespians performer, Dom Vinton, plays our hero Phileas Fogg. “I think it’s a great story,” he said. “And there’s a lot of scope to have fun with it.”
It’s a dazzling escapade, with our heroes travelling first to Italy and Egypt, then across the sea to India, Hong Kong, and beyond.
Join them as they race against the clock on a dizzying succession of trains, steamers, a wind-propelled sledge and…an elephant?
The play’s director, Lynne Whitaker, said: “This is a really exciting travel story, with lots of adventure, and it’s a really funny play.
“Every night we’ll transport audiences away to much warmer and sunnier climes. What more could you ask for from an evening’s entertainment? I hope audiences can join us to find out if Phileas Fogg really can make it home in time for Christmas!”
‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ plays at Longwood Mechanics Hall from Wednesday December 13 to Saturday December 16 (7.30pm) and there’s a Saturday matinee (2.30pm).
Tickets are available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/Huddersfield-Thespians or on the door.
Image: DAVID WRIGHT
