I found myself rather confused and a little lost in the detail of the succession to the English throne and I started to cringe come the sentimental ending. Like the tsunami at the start of the show, much of the action simply washed over me. Of course, comparisons are unfair, but in reality are almost inevitable. It's a large-scale, hugely creative production, but yet it falls short of being great. 'Nation' in a sense is from the same mould. This show raises a very interesting and important question: just what makes a really great production? For example, the National's 'War Horse' was one such a show a formidable production that was truly compelling in every respect. And a number of interesting and well-made puppets appear during the show, such as a giant sow which has to be milked, some rather dark and evil-looking vultures and a baby. Waves are created with huge flapping cloths. The description of the ship at the beginning of the show is ingenious and inventive - a simple rope marks out the outline of the ship and a figurehead makes up the prow. She's accompanied almost wherever she goes by her tame, but rather foul-mouthed parrot Milton, ably and convincingly played by played by Jason Thorpe.ĭirector Melly Still was also involved with the design along with Mark friend, and the result is a curved, raised area in the centre of the stage, surrounded by three enormous screens used to project various images of the island, the universe and more. Emily Taaffe as Daphne starts off as a rather prim, naive and typically English young lady, but later shows that there's inner strength within her. Gary Carr is a youthfully lithe, courageous and energetic Mau. There's also a sub-plot about the succession to the English throne which frankly had me confused, or maybe bemused. During what follows, Mau faces life-threatening challenges and is saved, rather predictably, by Daphne. Inevitably, two civilisations meet, or rather collide, and in a sense a new one is born. By coincidence, a young English girl called Daphne is on an English ship which is wrecked in the tsunami at a different location on the island. A young man, Mau, is on his journey from boyhood to manhood when a tsunami strikes and wipes out his tribe. Based on a novel by Terry Pratchett, 'Nation' takes place on an island.

Terry pratchett nation review