Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Review – Harold Pinter Theatre

CAPTAIN CORELLI’S MANDOLIN

A review by Sammy Scribes

As a Louis de Bernieres fan, I have read the book and watched the film of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. I was thrilled and slightly sceptical to discover that the story had been made into a theatre play. I was a little apprehensive that it wasn’t going to work. How would it be possible to convey the emotion and atmosphere on that basic and bare stage, except for a few plants in the background, crates and planks, a random ladder and a very unusual sculpture, arty thingy as the backdrop?

Herein lies the beauty of the theatre, you can quickly be transported to anywhere in the world and the story can be as simple or as fantastical as you like, add in some romance amidst heartache and needless brutality and you are good to go.

We were quickly transported back in time to the island of Cephalonia on the brink of being dragged into the Second World War and here is the magic of that stage set up. The props were strategically placed and that unusual sculpture, arty thingy backdrop was ingenious I knew instantly that we were on a Greek island, I could see the water and I could smell the fresh mountain air.

I was captivated from the moment the human goat and the urinating doctor appeared on the stage. The story of hardship and poverty and unrequited love moved quickly on to the atrocities of war, destruction and inhumanity.

The cast of 15 actors did an incredible job depicting the hardship and sufferings of civilians and soldiers. Again, the splendour of the arty thingy backdrop played an important role illuminating the bombing and shooting and devastating loss of life.

The main characters were engaging and believable. The agony was palpable. Pelagia giving her heart to Mandras as he went off to war and quickly becoming angry and cold, thinking that Mandras never loved her because he never replied to her letters. The shame and embarrassment of Mandras admitting that he could not read. The confusion and soul searching of Pelagia who wrestled with her conscience as she fell in love with the enemy, Captain Corelli.

The exquisite melody of that mandolin such a beautiful instrument and the heart felt singing of Drosoula as the war intensified, thousands of people died and the survivors starved, so haunting.

Dr Iannis and Lemoni, brilliant characters, bringing in much needed humour and humanity to offset the misery and destitution. Special mention for the pine marten, who knew they were so versatile and acrobatic hanging upside down from the ladder?

What should have been a happy ending after the war was blight by a misunderstanding kept Pelagia and Captain Corelli apart for 20 years. Captain Corelli you are an idiot you got your success as a renowned musician, but it took to 2 decades to get your girl.

I loved it, definitely a must see show. I can’t wait for Birds Without Wings to be adapted into a stage play and I have already discovered that you can buy a reasonably priced mandolin on ebay.