Moving Parts Theatre Company presents their touring production of Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray originally written and published as a monthly serial. Watching how the story unfolds I can see how the story is split up into serial sections.

Performed in the Hampstead Garden of the Romantic Poet John Keats’ House. The garden has a simple layout and offers a slice of tranquility in the leafy road of Hampstead.

The lives of Rebecca Sharp (Katrina Michaels) and Amelia Sedley (Anna Blackburn) along with their friends, family and acquaintances they meet along the way during and after the Napoleonic Wars. Rebecca lives on her wits and will do anything she has to do to climb the social ladder.

Amelia meets the man she chooses to marry,  who isn’t worthy of her love and devotion. The story of the two ladies living within the pages of Vanity Fair is told throughout by the cast of nine travelling circus actors. Who switches between the stories’ characters and their travelling fairground roles.

I thought the range of characters played by Tom Beattie was engaging. From the travelling circus jester in the beginning and his social interaction. To the more prestigious role of William Dobbin. Each character is different and his stage presence is strong.

Anaïs Tran Ngoc accompanying the cast as part of the ensemble and the musician, every travelling fairground would have musicians to drum up the fairground atmosphere and entertain the crowds along the way.

Simona Hughes directs the cast bringing the story of Vanity Fair to life with charm and warmth. Provoking empathy at times as the fate of the two ladies plays out. However, each venue will have different challenges as the production company tours parts of the UK just like the travelling fairgrounds would have done at that time.

Although the English summer weather offered a lovely evening for sitting outside to watch the performance the cast had other distractions to contend with. Especially the number of people walking past the house frequently. A couple of times the noise level was loud and the cast didn’t falter once or appear to be distracted by this, which impressed me.

For more information about Moving Parts Theatre Company and their touring production of Vanity Fair please visit the links below. One piece of advice if you park in Hampstead Heath East car park the gates are locked at 9pm.

Four Stars.

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TOUR DATES & VENUES

Rauceby Hall, Lincolnshire – 20th/21st/22nd June. Tickets Here

Keats House, Hampstead – 26th/27th June. Tickets Here

Worcester College, Oxford – 29th June. Tickets Here

Brighton Open Air Theatre , East Sussex- 3rd/4th July. Tickets Here

Keats House, Hampstead – 5th July. Tickets Here

Coram’s Fields, London- 6th July. Tickets Here

Abney Park, Stoke Newington – 9th/10th July. Tickets Here

Norwich Plantation Garden– 11th July. Tickets Here

Stow Hall, Norfolk – 12th July.  Tickets Here

Creake Abbey, Norfolk- 13th July. Info & Tickets Here

Dulwich Picture Gallery, London – 17th July. Tickets Here

The Actors Church, Covent Garden – 18th July.  Tickets Here

Berkhamsted Castle, Hertfordshire – 19th July. Info & Tickets Here

Ingatestone Hall, Essex – 20th July. Tickets Here

Stephens House & Gardens, Finchley – 24th July. Tickets Here

Hindringham Hall, Norfolk – 25th July. Tickets Here

Hoveton Hall, Norfolk – 26th July. Tickets Here

Thorington Open Air Theatre, Suffolk – 27th July. Tickets Here

Pembroke College, Cambridge- 31st July/1st August. Tickets Here

Leicester Cathedral- 2nd August. Tickets Here

St Pauls Walden Bury, Hertfordshire – 3rd August. Tickets Here

The Actors Church, Covent Garden – 8th August. Tickets Here

Lewes Castle, East Sussex –  9th/10th August.  Tickets Here

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