Tower Theatre are currently on tour with a strong adaptation of the epic 1851 adventure novel Moby Dick, written by American writer Herman Melville. It follows the journey of young sailor Ishmael as he plans to experience his first-ever whaling voyage to gain experience, as well as to see more of the world. Through his narration, we not only get to see the reality of what life is really like aboard the boat. We also observe an exploration through various characters he meets along the way, a journey into mental health being severely challenged through obsessive revenge, losing a sense of self and fear of the unknown.
Putting on a show such as this with a large cast is quite a huge task. Director Angharad Ormond was not afraid to delve under the surface of what the novel portrayed to discover some hidden treasures that the book may have been hinting at. She chose a dramatic approach full of physical theatre, some humorous moments fused with intense emotions, subtle hints at trauma response and an all-female Greek Chorus called The Furies representing the female voice, as well as the whales themselves. This in itself created a show that not only stayed true to the original novel, but made it well-rounded to the extent that we started asking more questions about the characters’ actions as well as those who were powerfully silent.
There were a couple of moments that, with a slight bit of tweaking, would make Moby Dick shine even more. In the beginning, as the Furies and the cast began to enter the space, there was a recording of Richard Attenborough narrating about whales and the natural world. Whilst I understand why it was used to set the scene and create the first moment of dramatic tension by enabling us to understand sperm whales more, it was a little too long. At the time of reviewing, there were some families with some restless children in the audience during this section, so a suggestion would be to make it shorter, not just for younger audience members, but to make the transition into the main story slicker.
Another moment is again, something I have mentioned a few times now in past reviews. Actors not used to outdoor acoustics when projecting. This show, for the majority of the time, had actors who had the right amount of power for all sides of the amphitheatre-style space acoustically. However, there were some who went too quiet, so we couldn’t always get the full impact of the words, especially on key moments where we needed to hear everything said. Raise the energy and the tone a little, and it will be perfect.
Having said all that, the cast was one of the strongest ensembles seen so far this year. No matter what role they played, they worked together in a way that made the experience engaging and, to a certain extent, immersive. With every physical action portraying the boat in action, other boats and the whales attacking, fused with well-thought-out responses to some unusual reactions to some characters, they displayed not just the perfect amount of on-stage trust, but characters that were relatable on an emotional level. Such as Nick Hall’s revengeful Captain Ahab. The detail shown in this character was well developed, from his wooden leg showing what the sperm whale did to him on the last voyage, to his mental health journey in the aftermath of the attack. Hall was fearless in delving into the depths of what Ahab may have gone through, as he hyper-focused on his goal of killing this whale and reflected briefly on his own family left behind. Doing this created a moment that was not just public madness, but a man suffering privately.
Tony Sears’ Ishmael was another highlight. His journey of learning the ropes of whaling was one that was portrayed with the right amount of innocence and growth into maturity as he realised things were very different aboard the Pequod. His narration was insightful and engaging, which naturally took us on the journey with him. Mayank Adlakha’s Pip was also a character of note, as his was the most emotionally challenging. He represented someone who lost a sense of self, as he changed personality after nearly dying in the ocean. This kind of abrupt change is not always shown in performances today, but Adlakha handled this mental journey with much respect and sensitivity that you need to see what happens to him to understand.
Of course, we cannot forget the amazing women who played the Furies. As a chorus, they displayed much skill in raw emotional frustration as women and whale alike was targeted. An intense, yet well portrayed crossover into how women feel when not able to fully articulate what they want to say, as well as physical theatre skills that were so smooth and transitionally that we were left wanting more.
Moby Dick is a show that is dramatic, engaging and is also complemented with live musicians and sea shanties that will raise your spirits and make you think more about the world. Make sure you catch it in Brighton before it goes down to Cornwall in August.
Review by Sascha Cooper
One Man. One Whale. Guided by the Fates. Driven by Obsession.
Nantucket, 1839. The ‘Pequod’ embarks on a fateful voyage under the formidable Captain Ahab, a man consumed by his quest for vengeance against the White Whale who tore off his leg. Through the eyes of our narrator, Ishmael, we join the ship’s diverse crew as they plunge into perilous waters, relentlessly chasing the infamous Moby Dick, brought to life through our female chorus The Furies.
Blending puppetry, live music and dynamic physical theatre, this gripping production explores timeless themes of trauma, obsession and prejudice, examining humanity’s fraught relationship with nature, and transforming Melville’s epic into a visceral theatrical experience.
Cast
Ahab: Nick Hall
Starbuck: Paul Graves
Stubb: James Johnston
Ishmael: Tony Sears
Queequeg: Femi Davies
Tashtego: Dale Robertson
Pip: Mayank Adlakha
Shantyman: Richard Hague
Manxman: Peta Barker
Flask: Tom Lafferty
The Furies: Feiyang Yang, Janet South, Cordelia Hennessy, Sangita Modgil, Ruth Sullivan, Emma Cornford, Flavia Di Saverio, Julie Joubert, As Richards, Rosie Barwick
Musicians
Kate Conway (Violin)
Stan Stanley (Fiddle)
Colin Guthrie (Accordion)
Richard Hague (Guitar)
Catherine Shaw (Flute)
Peta Barker (Percussion)
Production Team
Director: Angharad Ormond
Musical Director and Sound Design: Colin Guthrie
Movement Director: Nevena Stojkov
Set Design: Isaac Insley
Costume Design: Roxanne Ivy Roberts
Lighting Design: Samuel Littley
Stage Managers: Jacqui Dickson, Nichola Vasey, Ragan Keefer
Assistant Director: Ian Hoare
Assistant Director/Production Manager: Jess Staufenberg
Assistant Stage Managers: David East, Alison Liney
Sound Operator: Laurence Tuerk
Assistant Movement Director: Soirse Burns
Foley Consultant: Ruth Sullivan
Props Assistant: Angela Large
Special Props: Paul Graves
Costume Assistants: Quinn Thomas Graham, Sarah Navsa, Prisca Kikangala, Wenona Pillai
Pyrotechnic Consultant: Stan Stanley
Company Photographer: Allan Hart
MOBY DICK
Brighton Open Air Theatre, 24 to 26 July 2025
Minack Theatre, Cornwall, 25 to 28 August 2025
