MOBY DICK at London’s Tower Theatre, Stoke Newington

The crew with Captain Ahab (Nick Hall): photo Allan Hart

'Call me Ishmael'

Taking centre stage at London's Tower Theatre is Herman Melville's Moby Dick, co-adapted by Paul Graves and Director Angharad Ormond. This is a refreshing and exciting theatre company, innovative in its approach and offering glorious inclusion of physical theatre, not least of which is their incorporation of credible illusion. Having recently seen Liminal Space Theatre company's production of 'The Little Prince', I and my grandson were absolutely blown away. I was looking forward immensely to this current production of Moby Dick. Would it leave me with the same heightened emotion? Absolutely. The originality and passion of performance took my breath away. It was absolutely outstanding.

The Tower Theatre offers an intimate space, just right for bringing to life the Melville classic. With effective inclusion of music/sea shanties, choreography and lighting, what might have been a tale of a dangerous fishing expedition is transformed into something far larger and deeper ('scuse the pun). This is a story of one man's obsession, told by Ishmael, (Tony Sears) of Captain Ahab (Nick Hall) who is relentless in his fixation to seek revenge on the whale that took his leg.

The innovation in this production was fantastic. So many images of enormity: the Great White Whale, Ahab's obsession, swirling sea waves; a battle between the majesty of nature and the sea faring whalers. To complement these are the Furies, the Fates if you will. Bedecked in white hooped dresses, they are at one time portents of danger, at others passing ships and then the whale itself as it battles and takes the force of the harpoons. The formed tableaux are convincing and at times overwhelming, such is their strength.

The Furies: photograph Allan Hart

This is a full exploration of Melville's classic. On one level, Ahab and the great white whale; on the other the terrifying battle with nature. The audience dives into the sea world of imagination, interpreting and engaging with the actors as they are carried alongside on their treacherous voyage. The raw strength of the whale justified in its attack against the sheer butchery of the whalers. Yes, it might begin as an exciting adventure but soon descends into immense horror.

Staging and lighting is imaginative and makes great use of the space. This is the Pequod, complete with crow's nest. Large yellow oil drums whose facia letters spell out the name of the ship are used for a variety of effects, including the splashing waves that rise high above the ship and as beating drums to create tempo. The white costumed Furies, at times moving as one, create the illusion of a hanging white whale or the prow of a passing ship and Colin Guthrie's clever musical score with clear vocals, accordion (Guthrie) and violin (Kate Conway) further enhance the illusion to create a reality of time and setting.

Cast and oil drums: photograph Ahmed Kamara

And there it is. One man's obsession with revenge, blaming his injury on the magnificent creature Moby Dick as if it had been a personal attack. His trauma is his tragedy. We may feel pity but are drawn to the fact that despite his care of his crew and young charge, Pip, he will sacrifice them at the altar of his trauma. He owns the power, those around him less so.

In summary, to select one actor for plaudits is impossible. The cast, (and crew), like the Furies, are as one. There is a synergy and energy that carries through, each playing their part with a compelling enthusiasm and conviction to culminate in this fantastic production. So, returning to my initial question. Would Moby Dick leave me with the same strength of feeling? Indeed yes. Both I and the audience left deep in thought and in awe.

Can't wait for the next production.

At this point, I would like to offer some comments of Angharad Ormond. To bring it to context there is a huge misunderstanding of whales, in particular the Killer Whale, misnamed and arousing fear in man. February 16 2025 was World Whale Day, dedicated to celebrating whales and raising awareness about the threats they face, such as entanglement, pollution, and climate change and highlights the importance of whale conservation and the need for sustainable practice. 'This production also draws a powerful connection between Melville's critique of the whaling industry and today's global pursuit of oil. We wanted to expose the brutality of the whaling industry – but also what came after'. On a personal level, following a fantastic whale watching experience in Canada some years ago, my own love and interest of whales piqued as did my desire to learn of their intelligence and behaviour. I applaud Tower Theatre company for integrating this concept into their production.

Theatre warning: Because the production does include depictions of hunting, killing and butchering of whales, themes of trauma and PTSD it is inadvisable to bring to the performance very young children. (Advised age group 10+)

Running Time 2hr 15mins (including a 15 min interval)

Photography by Ahmed Kamara and Allan Hart

Listings: Moby Dick playing at London's Tower Theatre until Sunday 6 July 2025. This production can also be seen on tour at the Brighton Open-Air Theatre from Thursday 24 July – Saturday 26 July 2025 and at the Minack Theatre, Cornwall from Monday 25 – Thursday 28 August.