What Shall We Do With A Pseudo Sailor? Earlie in the Morning?

The Old Time Sailors

Theatre Severn

Sunday 15th June

Well what this show is, is hard to say as there didn’t seem to be any point to it. The cast was big and very willing but  one felt confused all the way  through. Why? Well one may be forgiven for imagining it might be an interesting night of sea songs and sea music. So when Ewan McColl’s Dirty Old Town and The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine appeared my confusion was in no way reduced. This was 20 musicians, all brilliant incidentally, and three male vocalists and two female vocalists all dressed up like Disney’s idea of what Sailors looked like a hundred years ago, and then thrashed the tunes out top level,, too loud and somewhere in the melee, the vocalists fought mostly in vane, to be heard.

Loud  whooping, and  leaping around can be tolerated if it is in juxta-positioned piece where it is balanced out with some , sensitive, reflective moments too. There was no of that as the band thrashed on destroying song after song. The singer never really getting any chance of making an impact. The actions that went with the songs were disingenuous and look too well rehearsed to be in any way spontaneous. In fact, one could sum up the show as well rehearsed spontaneity.

It was well rehearsed, and I think the parts are greater than the sum. The musicians were excellent they knew how to play, they really did. One would find it hard to constructively review the vocals as they weren’t heard. There was an artificial feel to the show bit like keg beer and paper roses. Just not real!

 One heard the ahaaaaarrrrrs almost every single opportunity the cast had, but alas little to no vocals. I have been sailing a bit with my friends and even lived at the coast but have never seen a sailor stop his duty to throw in a quick ahaaaarrr, neither have I ever heard a sailor do it on dry land either. One had the feeling they chose a load of fast songs and tunes and thought if throwing in a few ahaaaaas would give it the suitable nautical theme; it didn’t. There was no passion for the genre of sea songs and shanties and that seemed just a little disrespectful.

However, the audience did seem invested and were to and froing and waving their arms when ever they could. It was just a bit of nonsense. One is aware too, that some players and cast weren’t seen as there were too many people on the stage.  Sometimes it looked more like a fight was about to kick off. There wasn’t the room for a cast of 23 all jumping about and running into the aisles. The audience if they wanted high octane, high energy brashness, were certainly getting their money's worth.

May the circle be unbroken burst out and again the sea and its meaning was all gone. Old Sailors tend not to sings songs from the American Dustbowl. This is a show that failed at one thing whilst trying at another. But we had the music getting in the way of any narrative and the people getting in the way off the music. It all boils down to mayhem.

Credit however where it is due though. They worked so hard they found so much energy it was waring us out to sit and watch heaven knows where and how they find such power. One couldn’t fault it on musicianship it was delightful and I imagine the singing was too. But this show is rolling on the back of the tails of an already exciting folk scene, trying to cherry pick the best bits and force them into a show generically known as the Old Time Sailors, just doesn't work for this reviewer..

Exciting, fast, and skilful a massive three hussars to all those, connection to the sea was really non-existent. Whilst  this very very talented cast stop the show from sinking, it was very little to do with old and little to do with sailors. So as you can see one is confused.

This is a Three Star Review.

Sofia Lewis