Jennifer Saunders Stars in Edward Bond's The Sea at Theatre Royal Bath
Jennifer Saunders is on stage in Bath as Mrs Rafi in a revival of The Sea, Edward Bond's play, at Theatre Royal Bath. The run in the theatre's Main House, its largest auditorium, lasts until 7 November.
A revival is a new staging of an older play. Theatre Royal Bath bills this one as the first major revival of The Sea by Edward Bond. The play is set in 1907, during the Edwardian era (roughly 1901 to 1910, the years before the First World War), in a small seaside village. The theatre describes it as a mix of wild farce, high comedy and social satire, which means a story that pokes fun at the way people behave and the society around them.
The theatre first announced in February that Saunders would lead the production. She is best known for the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, and Theatre Royal Bath calls her a national treasure returning to the city. Jonathan Munby is directing. In September, the theatre posted a video on its Facebook page in which Munby introduces the first day of rehearsals.
The cast also includes Lucy Briers as Jessica Tilehouse, Lloyd Hutchinson as Evens, Sean Delaney as Willy and Dominic Rowan as Hatch. Luke Halls created the projections, Richard Howell designed the lighting, and EJ Boyle worked on the movement. Projections are images thrown onto the set, and movement work shapes how the actors move across the stage.
The Sea is one of several shows on the theatre's autumn and winter programme. Murder in the Cathedral, with David Suchet, plays in the Main House from 10 to 21 November. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time follows from 24 to 28 November, then Paranormal Activity, starring James Bye, from 1 to 5 December. Beauty and the Beast runs from 10 December to 10 January, the pantomime slot that many regional theatres rely on at Christmas.
Smaller work runs in the Ustinov Studio, the theatre's second space. Donald plays there from 6 November to 5 December, and A Child's Christmas in Wales runs from 9 to 24 December.
Bath has a busy few weeks ahead. For the cast and crew of The Sea, the next stop is the final performance on 7 November.
