Nation

You are in for a treat with the latest production from The National Theatre, which gave us the wondrous Michael Morpurgo's War Horse. This time Terriy Pratchett's novel Nation is brought stunningly to life on the Olivier Theatre stage. As with War Horse, it is the minutiae of movements that makes this productions so spectacular.

I suppose time has lapsed sufficiently since the terrible 2003 Boxing Day tsunami to put on a play that deals with the afternath of such a catastrophic event. In 1883 a tsunami off Sumatra destoyed 135 villages and 36,000 people died. Nation is a story loosely based on this event. Mau is the only person to have survived from his island, one of the biggest in the region; whilst Ermentrude, just 13, is apparently at first the only one to have survived from a ship heading to the Far East. What ensues is the coming of age story of Mau - caught in a period of time between man and boy - and Ermentrude (soon called Daphne). More island people arrive from neighbouring islands, who look to Mau as their leader, and there are break-away survivors from Daphne's ship.

Not unlike the Tarzan and Jane story, this one deals with Daphne learning to adapt to the rituals and customs of the island people: her first task (aged 13!) is to deliver a baby and find milk for the infant.

The play is slick wtih strong main characters and wonderful side performances by Milton the parrot and Ermentrude's Victorian grandmother.bSpecial effects were impressive, especially the under water scenes and scaveger birds. 

The play is recommended for children aged 10+. My only criticism was that the dialogue tended - unnaturally sometimes - to stray into the didactic, with unnecessary explanations. There was so much going on the stage to catapult you through the various scenes that further explanation is not needed.

nationaltheatre.org.uk 020 7452 3000

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