Originally published by L.S. Media. December 4th 2011.

L.S.Media Review ****

Cast: Mike Idris, Alice Bunker-Whitney, Rebecca Riley, Carl Roberts, Jamie Stuart, Beatrice McEvoy.

Last year the Unity Theatre put on the stunning Christmas show, The Red Shoes; full of delicate and brilliant acting and brought to the audience’s attention the acting talent of Mike Idris. This Christmas period has seen the Unity Theatre bring back Mr. Idris amongst a superb cast that includes the delightful Alice Bunker-Whitney and the emerging talent of Rebecca Riley in a tale of intrigue, daring and puppets galore – The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.

Written with obvious great affection for tales from the far-east by playwright Jeff Young and directed with great flair by Graeme Phillips; The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, plays exactly to the Unity Theatre’s idea of telling a story with imagination and great acting style.

Mike Idris was cast as the romantic lead, the reluctant adventurer and teller of tall tales perfectly and worked brilliantly with those around him. The combination of Mike’s lengthy experience of working at the Unity in shows such as The Daily Times and his ability to give a performance that is not only credible but enjoyable to watch. To single Mr. Idris out though would be a crime as the entire cast not only gave their all in the traditionally hard slot of the Saturday afternoon matinee but they soaked up the pressure of playing to an audience made up of enraptured and excited children.

Alice  Bunker-Whitney   showed once   again why she is so  highly thought of as an emerging actor   and her ability to shift  between  object of affection as the King’s daughter and rum punched and scowl faced sailor was a delight. The superb cast was completed by recent graduate of Hope University, Rebecca Riley, the excellent Beatrice McEvoy, Mike Idris’ fellow cast member from The Daily Times Carl Roberts and Jamie Stuart who surely has a huge future in front of him.

The shows appeal was added by the inclusion of some fantastic puppetry and one of the finest genies of the lamps seen on stage. This was an addition of sheer elegance and had all in the audience captivated by his appearance.

The Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor is the first of this year’s Christmas shows to get the full treatment and show Liverpool audiences what to expect for their money and for the looks on their childrens’ faces! The bar as always is set pretty high by the Unity Theatre and especially in this highly enjoyable production. Beautifully directed, wonderfully acted and a set that played to every strength available.

Wonderful!

Ian D. Hall