An annually revived stage version of Robert Louis Stevenson's pirate adventure at the now defunct Mermaid Theatre used to be a London Christmas tradition. But, like the Mermaid Theatre itself, it's long gone so it's lovely that the National Theatre are breathing new life into the story in a new version by Bryony Lavery directed by the fashionable and much admired Polly Findlay.Stevenson's novel hauntingly depicts a teenage boy’s journey to manhood when, following his dad's death, Jim Hawkins leaves home in search of a treasure that will support him and his mother. He has to choose between two prospective father figures, the decent, upstanding Squire Trelawny and the charismatic, mysterious ships cook Long John Silver. Of course Silver is the most appealing but in the stuff of nightmares Jim discovers that his new friend intends not only to betray him but kill him as well. The Squire too is found wanting as a role model and Jim becomes a better man than any of them as he outwits the older generation with wits and bravery.
In this new version for the National Theatre Jim is a girl, Jemima, living with her feisty grandmother who’s dressed in Nordic Noir steam punk. The Squire, as played by Nick Fletcher, is a bumbling idiot. Silver, as played by Arthur Darvil blatantly taking Jack Sparrow as inspiration is about as menacing and charismatic as bacon rind and many of Captain Flint’s old crew aren't much older than Jemima. This includes a clean shaven Ben Gun who in this version is an ex cabin boy in only his third year marooned on Treasure Island. Amongst the secondary characters Dr Livesey is now a lesbian role model and Israel Hands, originally a terrifying adversary against whom our hero had to fight to the death to capture the pirate ship, is now a bearded, pipe smoking old gal who blows herself up by accident. (I think that’s because they didn’t want to show Jemima killing anyone) A giant Monty Python style pointy finger appears in the sky to point to the treasure and in perhaps the most jaw dropping moment of all young Long John Silver steals a quick kiss from our heroine prompting an audible gasp from much of the audience.
The set is somptuous thanks to a budget which you'd imagine might inspire the team to stage some of the more spectacular set pieces from the novel like the fight in the rigging, the coracle, Blind Pugh being trampled to death by the custom officer’s horses etc. It’s a temptation they resist. None the less the scenery still has plenty of wow factor with Jemima’s home and then the inside of a ship rising up through the floor.
On the plus side Blind Pugh is properly scary and the animatronic parrot's a treat. There’s also a very funny running gag about no one noticing a man called Grey. But it’s a little tragic that this gets the best audience reaction of the night.
Treasure Island is notoriously difficult to stage in a way that satisfies all; the group bookings who show up wanting “Carry on up the Jolly Roger” the critics who want a journey into the dark heart of a young man’s soul and granddads hoping to introduce their grandsons to their favourite book. I suspect this new version won’t quite hit the spot for anybody.
It’s great though that, in Jemima, this team are providing a good role model for little girls who currently only have Disney Princesses and Kate Middleton to look up to. And why shouldn’t Jemimas have adventures like Jims? Unfortunately by constantly referencing that his/her gender doesn’t matter Lavery and Findlay turn it into an issue.
For me Lavery has taken all the guts from the book and offered nothing as substantial to replace it. The final image of a beautiful little galleon floating home amidst a blanket of stars is the only tantalising glimpse of what a magical evening this could have been had the creators not been so preoccupied with peddling their own sexual politics.
Right, I’m off to rewrite the musical ANNIE as Arnie, the tale of a redheaded orphan boy who has lots of adventures with cross-dressing gay men.
Not as good as the 20 years ago, but a magical evening nevertheless. For those who have seen it before it brings back old memories, for the newcomers looking for star quality, look no further than Nicole Scherzinger.