Our trip to the theatre began with lunch at The Wild Olive Tree, within St George's Tron on Buchanan Street. It was busy, so we had to wait a short time to get a table. Their soup-and-scone combo was delicious and not expensive. They're not linked to the Theatre Royal, so no cannibal dishes were on the menu, but I could pretend the chef had added brains to the chicken, veg and barley soup.
Sinister sounds play while we wait for the show to begin. The performance will be captioned on the screen above our heads and on the screens on either side of the stage. I made use of this feature quite a lot during the play, spotting the occasional time when the actors reworded their lines.
To answer the second one first, the staging, acting and script were clever. The story follows the film's narrative closely, though we get more Hannibal onstage than he was ever on screen. The structure of his cell is utilised well, with the back of it forming the walls of Buffalo Bill's pit. You do have to suspend your imagination slightly when one of Bill's victims is screaming to be released, with a set of stairs right beside her that lead to Bill's location (there are also the rungs of a ladder that Bill used to climb up).
John Partridge does not attempt to copy Hopkins ' Hannibal. For one thing, the performance is more physical, making the most of Partridge's muscular body. A completely still performance wouldn't work on the stage, especially for those on the higher tiers. He still imbues the role with a calculated menace. The cat-and-mouse between him and Clarice plays out well.
The actress playing Clarice is excellent, capturing the accent perfectly. We empathise with her position as the lone female FBI student in an organisation fuelled by testosterone.
The second half of the play flies by, holding the attention better.
If I were to complain, I'd say that because I knew the film so intimately, I spent more time wondering how they would achieve its scenes than following the story as it unfolded before my eyes. This familiarity reduced the show's impact. They also cut certain scenes, such as Bill's dance, and the film's most famous line about having a friend for dinner. It was still interesting to experience the film as a stage play.
Rather freakingly, our neighbour from across the road was sitting directly behind us with her friend, having booked her tickets independently of us. What were the chances of that? More than you think, as this is now the third time we've met each other at a show at the theatre.
But who is stalking who?
Ticket Price: 2 x £45 + £3.95 Transaction Fee = £93.95 from ATG Tickets
Production Stills (in no particular order)
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