Captain Morgan is back – and now he is armed with the Sands of Time. This does not sit well with his foes, who do all in their power to reclaim this precious artefact; a journey which takes us to the bottom of the ocean, the frontiers of the Wild West and the titular Sea of Souls. TapTap Theatre have set themselves the challenging task of creating a sequel to
Sea of Souls is a completely satisfying piece of theatre.
For those who haven’t yet caught the original tale, an amusing prologue brings everybody up to speed; for those who already have, they will be delighted to see several returning characters alongside some new faces. Both Newton and Richards are unstoppable forces of energy onstage: an encounter with sea sirens that leads to a musical showdown between monster and pirate is a fantastic example of the dexterity of their storytelling, not to mention the baffling speed with which these actors switch between friend and foe.
Throughout the performance Newton and Richards are supported unceasingly by composer and musician David Ridley, whose electronic pick-up for the violin creates an endless range of eclectic sounds worthy of a film score. Creaking floorboards and swinging saloon doors are summoned effortlessly and brilliantly. It is easy to imagine that this show came from endless hours of play in the rehearsal room, perfectly preserving the freedom and fun that this brings.
Sea of Souls is a completely satisfying piece of theatre – stories within stories on a level to rival Inception, impeccable characterisation and jokes for all the family. I won’t spoil the ending, but there is enough material to inspire a third adventure next year – catch these pirates whilst you can.
