Around the World in Eighty Days

Synopsis

A family musical. Never one to ignore a challenge, adventurer Phileas Fogg, his servant Passepartout and the beautiful Aouda face the most fearsome and fantastic days of their lives. They risk everything to prove that the world can be circled in eighty days - and they've saved a place aboard for you! Brave the waves onboard the ship, climb the clouds in the basket of a balloon, hold on for dear life to the back of a bad tempered elephant - when time's this tight, no transport's too treacherous. But what of arrest, bandits, evil enemies, and the love of a lady? Will such surprises trip up his triumphant return?

Our Review:

7 December 2001

All aboard! Everyone's gone gambling mad at the Battersea Arts Centre. Phileas Fogg claims he can travel round the world in 80 days and his wager has even grabbed the attention of Queen Victoria who's having a flutter.

We start at Greenwich and follow Fogg and his valet Passepartout from Paris to the jungles of India, the Far East and the Wild West, picking up all manner of waifs and strays on the way. Add commentary from Disraeli, Sherlock Holmes and Watson, some fantastic puppets and imaginative staging and the journey comes alive in glorious 'pop-up book' Technicolor.

Timothy Mitchell's Passepartout is a winning combination of Pee Wee Herman and Charlie Chaplin with a healthy dose of French charm - he steals the show. Bill Ward's Fogg reminds one at times of a Mr Darcy and this is the problem, he is too understated. However, Rae Baker and Jane Lucas as the feminist Queen Aouda and horsey Miss Fotherington respectively inject a dose of energy into the proceedings ...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com - 2 January 2002:

For those who know the BAC Christmas musical team this did not quite match admittedly very high expectations . As a stand alone it was a fantastic use of a small stage with creative use of a variety of stage props --- the elephant was great . The script was true to the book and film and the key roles very convincing but I didn't feel the " Christmas bonhomie" that has touched me the last 3 years . Still well worth seeing though . ...

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