Silver Screen: With Robert Powell & Friends

Saturday 7th February 2009

On a frosty night in Guilford, Surrey cinema history was reborn. Presented on an intimate stage in The Mill Studio at the Yvonne Arnaud theatre, UK legend Robert Powell and ‘70s actress Gabrielle Drake gave a whimsical account of the history of the silver screen from past to present. Written by sound-editor-turned-playwright Ian Fuller, who has worked on hit productions such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Notting Hill; Silver Screen takes a “nostalgic romp” through the roots of the movies.

Accompanied by the playwright’s nephew, budding actor Adam Bambrough, my first observation upon arrival was the amount of thinning hair and woolly cardigans present at the reception, and the array of surprised and almost proud smiles at the onset of ‘youth’ that had walked through the entrance. Not at all fazed by the fact that we were the youngest people there by generations, we proceeded to make our way to our seats. The stage was set with two chairs placed either side of a polished wooden table, which was laid out with a jug and two glasses of water – reminiscent of talk show Inside The Actors Studio. To the left of the stage was a grand piano accompanied by a stool and small music stand. As the audience settled in their seats, the lights dimmed and the show began.

First onstage were pianist Christine Croshaw and musician Clive Conway, flute in tow, followed by Gabrielle Drake and the show’s main attraction, Robert Powell. To my surprise both actors brought with them scripts, in which they proceeded to give an account through the first hundred years of “the talkies” in the form of a rehearsed reading, starting from the first film by the Lumiére brothers in 1895 to Britain’s well-loved James Bond in 2008. Powell later commented that the audience would “expect scenes and costumes” had they not been reading from scripts, and it was Fuller’s stylistic intention to provide an intimate and natural “storytelling” experience to the crowd.

The night’s highlights included excerpts from classic films such as Gone With The Wind and Casablanca in which Powell and Drake re-enacted the films’ most memorable scenes; as well as little-known facts about the fruition of Hollywood and the, at the time frowned-upon, creation of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse. The show ended with Hollywood’s best-known one-liners, leaving the audience in cinematic euphoria.

When the curtains closed, Fuller’s nephew cheekily described the evening as “gently entertaining”, which indeed it was. The mild humour and placid interludes of Chroshaw and Conway’s music surely provided a stimulating night out for our fellow OAPs, but would hardly attract the adrenaline-junkie of our generation. Nonetheless, Silver Screen may prove a treat for anyone with a specialised interest in film and cinema history, or a fun night out with Granddad.