“A rollicking good ride… what looks on paper like a colossal joke turns out to be one of the most enjoyable, uplifting shows in town….the remarkable focus of Heap’s direction, which knows exactly when to rein in the humour to achieve dramatic eloquence and when not to take itself too seriously…”

Dominic Cavendish, The Daily Telegraph

 

A series of audacious pocket-epic Christmas shows at BAC began when then Artistic Director and Medieval Players fan Tom Morris lured Carl Heap back out of a economically enforced spell as a teacher to co-write and direct Ben-Hur in an intimate space with an audience capacity of about 120. The cast of 14, led by Will Adamsdale as Judah Ben-Hur with Miranda Raison as his love-interest, fearlessly staged a sea-battle and the famous chariot race with little more than a chandelier, a table and a set of pram wheels (and the audience’s imagination). The success led to two further space-defying shows: Jason and the Argonauts and World Cup Final 1966, both of which went on national tours, expanding to fill larger theatres. Warwick Arts Centre then took up the baton, commissioning St George and the Dragon which also toured the UK.