Of Mice and Men

Synopsis

Set against the harsh backdrop of the Great Depression, Of Mice and Men is the story of George and Lennie, two friends with a simple dream: to own a farm and live off the fat of the land. There are times, though, when sharpwitted George feels the burden of looking after Lennie, while gentle giant Lennie doesn't realise his own strength... As they drift from job to job, trouble's never far away, and before long it's time to move on again. When the pair get work in Soledad, California, however, the dream looks set to become a reality. But a tragic turn of events threatens to destroy George and Lennie's friendship and leaves George faced with an impossible choice...

Our Review:

13 February 2004

It’s not difficult to guess that Of Mice and Men is one of this year’s GCSE set texts - the Old Vic is packed with schoolchildren, some of whom (judging from overheard remarks before curtain-up) have been dragged there reluctantly. Luckily, Jonathan Church’s stylish production of this Steinbeck literary classic, helped enormously by Simon Higlett’s evocative set, has them entranced from the outset.

Joe McGann has taken over from Matthew Kelly as Lennie, the slow-witted giant who doesn’t know his strength. Not having seen the original, I can’t comment on my colleagues’ appraisal of Kelly’s excitability, but McGann gives a performance of quiet dignity, his face a mark of doltish trust – as wide-eyed and innocent as the animals he inadvertently kills. Still, if Kelly’s facial tics have, by and large, disappeared, there remains an abundance of bodily mannerisms that do seem rather overdone.

But there’s an excellent performance by [Andrew Schofie...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com (80.41.138.30) - 15 June 2004:

would rather thrust oriental dissemboweling cutlasses and red hot knitting needles into the loving eyes of my pet dog than sit through interminable, abject and inadaquate performance. A group of blind, deaf, mute pigeons would have received my glowing praise when set against your tawdry effort. - Year 12 NSB...

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