George's Marvellous Medicine was first published in 1981 and remains one of his most popular stories for children. Read more …
George's nasty old grandma needs teaching a lesson. George decides the best remedy for her grumpiness is a special home-made medicine. But Grandma gets more than she bargained for!
George’s Marvellous Medicine is not what might be termed festive or action-packed. Thankfully, the five-strong cast directed by Joe Douglas give it their all, delivering spoonfuls of sugar to help the medicine go down.
While this is far from Dahl's best yarn, Douglas' pocket-sized ensemble of five have as much fun as they can with the material.
The plot is so slim that much of the dialogue seems like padding; and what’s left is an effective one-hour non-seasonal children’s show, uneasily expanded to an hour and three-quarters, including an interval.
Big, bold and modern, this production of George’s Marvellous Medicine benefits from a strong cast who definitely make the most of what they're given. Nevertheless, the overall result feels at times slightly laboured and all-to-singular in its narrative for anyone above the age of 10.
A weird concoction of strange, unexpected and disparate elements that induces confusion and leaves a curious aftertaste.
Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee from Thursday November 24, 2016, until Saturday December 31, 2016. More info: www.dundeereptheatre.co.uk
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