Passion (Hope Mill Theatre)

[david]

May 23, 2022 17:42:55 GMT og said:

Those that have seen it, the first two seats on the front row are marked partial restricted view. Is it just up stage right action missed off due to the depth of the performance space?

Overall I’d say yes. If you are sat there you would be directly facing a wall in front of you. Unfortunately you can’t move any of the seats as they are all locked together. 

[og]

Oofff. Loveeeed this.
Having not seen Passion before I've tried listening to the soundtrack multiple times and never gotten on with it, but in context of a full production it won me over, big time. Stunning vocals all round and the chamber arrangement of the score really suited it. Quite possibly my favourite production at Hope Mill to date.
A few wobbles from the sound desk, feedback howling and a lot of lines missed on the dialogue would be my only complaint. That and I wasn't too keen on the white drapes, found them a little distracting in the simplicity of the set. The 3 frames with sliding elements and backdrop were strong enough, the rest could have been black box, imo.

I found the tone of Passion not dissimilar to Aspects of Love, but despite a slightly weak book Passion's score, characters and journey trump that of AoL.

So good to see the evolution of Hope Mill in a relatively short space of time too. On each returning visit the place feels a little more assured, with tighter operations, subtle changes structurally and visually.
This was actually my first trip back to a theatre since Covid kicked off March 2020, well worth the wait.