The voice of the turtle

The Voice of the Turtle, written by John Van Druten, follows the journey of two strangers, Sally Middleton and Bill Page, who are initially forced into captivity due to bad weather conditions. The bad weather lasted only one night, but their romantic stay lasted three. This play is set in New York in 1943.

The costumes in this play were great and really suited the period. From everyday wear to elaborate evening gowns, the clothes were really well styled. The costumes matched the personality of each character. The set really suited the period. The play was set in a cozy New York apartment. It was decorated in a lot of neutral colors, with a few pops of color, showing that the owner of the apartment, Sally Middleton, really wanted to make it feel like home and took pride in her small apartment.

Imogen Elliot’s Sally Middleton had a lot of depth and facets. On the surface, you would think she was such a sweet and innocent woman, but she had quite a few secrets. Elliot’s portrayal of this character was very interesting, she continually uncovered every single layer of this character as the play progressed. It was beautiful to see Elliot play with the different character traits of Sally Middleton, making strong and brave decisions and letting Middleton build up so much strength and courage that she appears to be a completely different person by the end of the play. Watching Elliot’s ability to juggle and convey many conflicting emotions at once was really impressive. It was great to watch the arc of this character’s development, from a shy person to a character with so much strength and courage who makes up her own mind at the end.

Skye Hallam, who played Olive Lashbrooke – a friend of Sally Middleton – is an absolutely fantastic performer. I loved her larger than life portrayal of Olive Lashbrooke, she was fierce, funny and unapologetically brave. Hallam really made her mark and brought so much energy to the stage. When Olive Lashbrooke reappeared, she didn’t even have to say a word and the audience were already laughing out loud, which was a testament to her great stage presence and that she gave the audience something to remember. Hallam’s comedic timing was second to none. You could see how much fun the actress was having and that made her performance even more entertaining.

Nathan Ives-Moiba played the charming Bill Page so well. It was lovely to see Bill Page so open, honest and vulnerable, showing so many raw emotions. The moments when Bill Page confessed his love to Sally Middleton were very touching. Ives-Moiba really took control of the room. He had an assertiveness about him that contrasted well with his romantic side. His confident nature complemented Sally Middleton’s gentle side really well. Elliot and Ives-Moiba really fit together well, they had great chemistry. Their interactions were both dynamic and sweet.

The soundtrack of this play really helped transport the audience to the era in which the play is set. It added a nice feel-good element to the play and gave it a lighthearted feel. The soft music played throughout was a great choice.