Photo credit Dimitri Legakis
The Lyceum stage is used as the platform to transport us back to the 1970s as ‘Operation Julie’ embarks on its last week of its 2024 tour.
Telling the true story of chemist Richard Kemp and his partner Christine Bott, whose house in Mid Wales was the basis to manufacture over half of the worlds’ LSD at the time. Their aim, not one of profit, as they largely planned to give the money away to various causes, but to expand and open the mind of the populous to an alternative life without capitalism and to see the future harm humans were inflicting on the planet.
The authorities, not quite seeing it the same way, conducted a two year operation, involving 11 police forces, which resulted in the break-up of one of the largest LSD manufacturing operations in the world and culminated in 1977 with enough LSD to make 6.5 million ‘tabs’ with a then street value of £100 million being seized, 120 people arrested in the UK and France and over £800,000 discovered in Swiss bank accounts.
Upon entering and taking our seats you are immediately immersed in the experience. All 9 multi-talented cast members were already onstage as the audience enter, jamming on Gong’s ‘Master Builder’ with various era-appropriate images projected onto the back screen. Your typical instruments are accompanied and interspersed with others, such as bassoon, flute, cowbell, recorder and mandolin. The cast just swap out seamlessly, often part way through a song.
The pre-show sets the tone for the remainder of the performance. The band all play parts in the show and move from the podium at the rear, to the front of the stage when required. Some also play multiple parts and swiftly fleet from performing music, to playing one character, quick costume change and back out again.
Written by Geinor Styles, the dialogue is fast paced, the key plot points are all covered with a mixture of comedic moments in-between, but retaining the essence and showing some touching moments between Kemp and Bott.
Georgina White and Joseph Tweedale play Christine Bott and Richard Kemp. Empathetically laying out their self sustaining lifestyle and vision behind the large scale production of LSD.
Keiran Bailey and Steve Simmonds are Welshman DS Parry and Londoner, DCI Dick Lee. They play nicely off one another and have some comedic moments throughout as well as a warm moment at the end. Simmonds brilliantly brings a Chris Farley / Jack Black style energy to his musical performances which really got the audience going.
Dan Bottomley plays Alston ‘Smiles’ Hughes with a gentle warmth and some humour. Having the real Alston Hughes in the audience and collaborating with the team on the production, he spoke afterward offering much support and praise for everyone involved.
Daniel Carter-Hope as Bentley and Buzz is responsible for some laugh out loud moments, combining well with the equally funny Phylip Harries who plays multiple characters as well as performs ‘Oes Gafr Eto?’ with much mirth and audience participation.
Caitlan Lavangna and Sion Russell Jones both play multiple parts, interlacing and joining the story well and adding to the fluidity. Sion’s adds an air of mystery to his portrayal of the guitar man.
The song choice and performance were immense. All give the air of having been in a band for decades such is the chemistry (pun not intended) and fluidity of the performances. Tracks from artists such as ‘Hawkwind’,’The Moody Blues’, ‘King Crimson’ and ‘Jimi Hendrix’ brilliantly litter the action and all carefully chosen to match the dialogue upcoming and the overarching message of an alternative lifestyle.
The lighting, costume, set and video effects were a perfect adornment and achieved so much transporting you to the times. Everything was so very well thought out.
The over arching message at the end is hauntingly prophetic. Its a poignant monologue which Kemp wrote in the late seventies in his own defense, but didn’t read it out in court should it have harmed Bott’s sentencing. It’s a reflection of the assault on the environment, on captialism and on mother earth that humanity is responsible for and the consequences of these actions that Kemp calls out, is evident to see today. It’s even more pointed when newsreels of current events are projected onto the screen as it’s performed.
The production authentically and empathetically tells an amazing story, performed wonderfully by a multi-talented cast with a killer soundtrack marvellously performed live.
The Spotify playlist of the soundtrack from ‘Theatr na nOg’ is located here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2dVayHcNoFSWrteOTHWHWg
This is its last leg of the journey in 2024 and is much recommended to see before it draws to a close. Tickets are available from the box office or online here:
https://trafalgartickets.com/lyceum-theatre-crewe/en-GB/event/musical/operation-julie-tickets
