On the road to success with Rebecca and co

Derby Theatre has hit the bullseye again with its latest homegrown production.

The adaptation by Mike Kenny of Solace Of The Road, the novel by the late Siobhan Dowd, is a world premiere and director Sarah Brigham has come up trumps with this poetic offering.

The premise is simple: young Holly is in care but decides to hit the road to Ireland in search of her real mother. Holly puts on a blonde wig and adopts the guise of her alter-ego Solace to do this.

From this basic set-up springs an entertaining series of scenes, all featuring the excellent, sparky Rebecca Ryan as Holly/Solace: some are touching, some haunting, some amusing, almost all thought-provoking.

Ryan builds on the success of last year’s turn in A Taste Of Honey at the venue while the standout among the multi-tasking supporting cast of five is Polly Lister (who was in Derby Theatre’s Cooking With Elvis in 2013). She shines in a wide variety of roles.

The direction is crisp and, as ever, the design (here by Barney George) is first rate, utilising an almost bare black stage, with a variety of useful compartments in the floor that come into play at various points in the play.

Solace Of The Road is at Derby Theatre until Saturday, March 14. Call 01332 593939.

Related topics: