'Treasure Island' x 2 @ National Theatre

Okay, so there was no grog flavoured ice-cream but I still enjoyed 'Treasure Island' at the National Theatre at Christmas so I booked to see the show again. This time we were in the fifth row of the stalls, in the middle and with a perfect - and close - view of the action. One of the good things about being so close was that I could see all the little ticks and movements of the animatronic parrot that sat on Long John's shoulder. 'Pieces of eight!' eh Parrot? And nicking Long John's sausages when he's cooking in the galley and the parrot looking away as if to say 'I have no idea what you mean'. O yes Captain Flint you rascal, I know your sort.

Anyway, where was I? O yes, being closer gave me a great view of the sword fight between Billy Bones and Black Dog which wasn't so much swashbuckling as lunging forward in the hopes of hitting something. Not the most elegant of sword fights but quite realistic when you think of the weight of a cutlass and flailing round with it. And pirates probably weren't the most healthy and agile of sea-farers. It was also interesting to see Billy covered in tattoos which, from further back aren't terribly clear on his arms.

When the good ship Hispaniola rises from the stage for the first time it's still a spectacle as we see the rooms below-decks and the crew starts wandering round them just as if we sliced down the middle of the ship to show us all areas, even down to the crew hammocks in the bilges. It's a wonderful sight seeing it rise up and up as we watch it emerge from the stage and netting appearing to climb on in the battle scene that closes the first half.

The island is still a bit meh with not a palm tree in sight - we all know that desert islands are covered in palm trees, that's a known fact and is probably a law too. But the action takes us forward as Long John faces down a mutiny against his leadership - you just can't trust pirates these days, can you? - and young Jim befriends Ben Gunn, sails the ship herself, rescues her friends, finds the treasure and lives happily ever after… except for the dreams.

It's great fun and, as you might have guessed, I loved it. Again! I must be an embarrassment to be with when I see this show - I go all 'avast there' and 'oo arrr' and 'lubbers' all over the shop. Sorry about that. And I did ask for grog-flavoured ice cream at half time and the usher looked startled for a moment and then laughed and gave me vanilla - didn't he realise I was serious? I should've run him through with my cutlass the damned lubber… except I didn't have one on me. Drat! That's one of the drawbacks of living in the 21st Century.

'Treasure Island' at the National Theatre

My post-Christmas treat was a visit to see 'Treasure Island' at the National Theatre. My history with 'Treasure Island' goes back 40 years or so ago when I first read Robert Louis Stevenson's book about the adventures of young Jim Hawkins and the pirates. Robert Newton immortalised Long John Silver in the definitive film version of the book. For some reason it's considered a children's book but it wasn't written as such. I rediscovered the book a few years ago and fell in love with it all over again, with it's swashbuckling on the high seas and hunting for pirate treasure. Yo ho ho me hearties!

This version was written by Bryony Lavery, using the key elements of the book but adapting it to make an intriguing stage play. So, for example, Jim becomes Jemima in a change that worried me when I heard about it but it works very well. It's not a literal translation of the book onto the stage but it's pretty close in many respects.

I always assume that everyone reads this book when young but I heard one theatre-goer behind me say that he'd never read it so I'll briefly outline the story of the play…

Young Jim Hawkins and her grandmother run an inn on the south coast and are visited by Bill Bones who pays in advance for lodgings, food and rum. He's visited by Black Dog and then by Blind Pew, both wanting old Flint's treasure map, and Blind Pew throws the black spot at Bones and he dies. Jim has the map and takes it to Squire Trelawney and the Doctor who decide to go treasure-hunting themselves. The Squire buys a ship and hires a crew that includes many of Long John Silver's former crewmates as well as Silver himself and off they sail. When they reach the island the crew mutinies but the Squire, Doctor and Jim escape with the loyal crew and the map. Jim meets Ben Gunn who was the cabin boy on Flint's ship but was left ashore when it sailed away and he's gone mad since he hasn't seen anyone in three years. O, and he likes cheese (especially toasted if you have any). Battle and wily shenanigans take place between the pirates and the Squire's people and, of course, the Squire's side wins and sails back to Britain rich as Croesus and jolly pleased with themselves.

So there you are, the bare bones of the greatest pirate story ever but you really need to see it to experience the full story. The stage is a major character in itself, transforming from an old inn to a galleon with three levels and then into the mist-shrounded desert island. It's great what they can do with a simple stage these days and I was mighty impressed with its flexibility and ability to transform from one thing into another. And the lighting was pretty good too, atmospheric and haunting and, every now and then, the lighting extended out into the ceiling of the auditorium above the audience to show the constellations of stars the pirates use to sail by. It was all terribly well done.

The cast were top notch as well, with Patsy Ferran as our heroine Jim and Arthur Darvill as Long John Silver. Arthur played Long John as charming and cunning by turns, a clever pirate who can turn every eventuality to his own good. The only problem I had was that he didn't look like Long John or, indeed, a pirate. He should've been heavier and older and he didn't really have a peg-leg at all, just some 'wood' strapped to one leg that he referred to as his new leg. But I can forgive that because he did, at least, have a parrot on his shoulder some of the time.

I also quite liked Nick Fletcher as the bombastic squire with the loud mouth and Daniel Coonan as Black Dog who allows the prisoners to escape on the island by getting drunk on grog. They were all good really, and all great fun in their own, often dastardly, way.

I was looking forward to seeing this on stage and spent the morning with my pirate scarf tied round my head. Would I be disappointed like with 'White Christmas' the week before? Don't get your hopes up, I told myself, but I couldn't help it. Luckily I loved the production! It brought magic and wonder in its wake as it sailed the seas of the Olivier stage, and that's exactly what we need at this darkest time of the year in London.

The audience was a curious mix of older people who clearly love the book and parents (and some grandparents) bringing their children to see the play as a Christmas outing. I hope it worked its magic on those young eyes and shone a light on them to make them begin to love theatre. They might be the audiences of the future.

My major complaint was that there were no bottles of rum or grog to swig from at half time and no grog flavoured ice-cream. What an opportunity missed!

Oo ar Jim lad, let's have a rousing chorus of '15 men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho and a bootle of rum!' Strike the sails and let's set off for an adventure on an island where X really does mark the spot...