Top of the world (From The Northern Echo)

Top of the world

11:51am Saturday 20th February 2010 in

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A play coming to the region scales the heights of Everest. Viv Hardwick explains.

THE conquest of Everest in 1953 might not seem an obvious choice for a contemporary theatre company, but Spike Theatre boss Mark Smith is made of sterner stuff and tells me the reasoning behind this new touring production.

“We’ve come to the conclusion that this event was the birth of modern Britain, with it being post-war, end of the Empire and the new monarch, Elizabeth, being crowned and a new sense of optimism. The Stanley Matthews FA Cup Final was the first to be broadcast to the nation, so all these things culminated in three or four months and the conquest of Everest topped all that. It was this optimism that took us into the Sixties and Seventies,” says Smith.

The three-man cast from Liverpool- based Spike Theatre bring the show to Darlington Arts Centre on Tuesday. Smith explains: “It’s a really nice way of looking back and saying ‘this is where the seeds were sown for where we are now’.”

He doesn’t believe in a “broken Britain” and feels there were just as many problems in 1953 when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the peak of the world’s highest mountain. “I think there are more problems with a 24/7 media which needs to fuel its fires because we are short of stories in an age of tag-lines and soundbites,” he says.

The show looks at how the portrayal of New Zealander Hillary and the porter, Norgay, has changed over the years – initially expedition leader John Hunt and Hillary were knighted and Norgay got the George Medal.

“The two men’s lives are so fascinating that we do look at what happened after 1953.The George Medal award is the equivalent of a policeman arresting a criminal and didn’t reflect his achievement. It’s interesting that the country of Nepal wanted to knock Norgay down in his place because they didn’t want him to get too big for his boots,” says Smith, who was inspired by a TV documentary on the conquest of Everest and his interest in why mountaineers routinely risk their lives.

“I then read Hillary and Norgay’s biographies and admired the enormity of their achievement,” he says.

The colours and materials used on the climb were recreated for the set.

“We’re hoping it doesn’t snow on the night because we bring out own snow with us,” says Smith.

Spike Theatre have been in contact with Hillary’s Himalayas Trust – which has built schools, hospitals and airstrips in the area – as well as the surviving members of the expedition.

“This is a show which encompasses their lives but focuses on the achievement. The show is not sentimental,” says Smith.

Originally just two actors, Jamie Wood and Eugene Salleh, were going to play Hillary and Norgay but, in rehearsals, it was decided to add the role of Sir John Hunt (Chris Tomlinson) because of the East-meets- West clash that became apparent.

“Norgay was originally going with a Swiss party after being on the failed 1952 attempt and wasn’t overally keen on the British because they didn’t respect him as a climber. The reflective moments, where we’ve imagined what was happened, is when the climbers are in their tents.,” he explains.

Projection and puppetry also help to create the climb and other members of the team. “We’ve used film sensitively and tentatively and needed the puppets to show the vastness of the Himalayas,” says Smith.

“The figure you see in the photographs of the conquest is Tenzing Norgay and not Hillary because they realised when they reached the top that the guide can’t use a camera.

The British never showed him how to… so there you go. It’s one of those moments that you say ‘brilliant, we can use that’.”

■ Top Of The World, Darlington Arts Centre, Tuesday, 8pm. Tickets: £8.50. Box Office: 01325-486-555