Warwick youth theatre group’s magical play keeps audience spellbound

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a fantastic story dating back 600 years, with its roots deep in Anglo Saxon mythology. It is a story about the chivalric code, a system of values which resisted the forces of darkness in the days before the Norman conquest.

Gawain, youngest of the Knights of the Round Table is engaged in a battle of wits and courage in which his own fidelity and the ideals of noble sacrifice are put fully to the test. The story blends notions of Christian virtue with powerful ancient nature magic.

Fantasy stories set in ancient times, such as the recent Merlin series on TV, have an enduring appeal, especially to young audiences, and Toby and Emily Jane Quash’s interpretation was bursting with vitality and character.

The large cast gave a sharp performance, never missing a beat. The three central characters, Gawain (William Davies), Jack Firth (Green Knight) and the sorceress Morgana (Tessa McGoldrick) were especially strong. William Davies’ performance was outstanding: muscular, athletic and emotionally colourful. But it was as an ensemble that the strength of this show lay. Though some of the actors on stage seemed little more than five or six years old, each gave a strong performance, playing a vital part in creating a magical atmosphere that held the capacity audience spellbound.

This production showed once again that Playbox is capable of producing intelligent theatre for all ages. Warwickshire has reason to be proud of them.

Nick Le Mesurier