Notes from a Small Island review - Bill Bryson's affectionate look at Britain's quirks staged with wit in Kenilworth

​Before he returned to his native USA, Bill Bryson went on a farewell tour of places he had first visited 20 years earlier when he arrived in 1973, which he recorded in his humorous and highly successful eponymous travelogue.

Using back projections and a simple set of a few upright chairs, raised staging and small reception desk, director Steve Smith marshalled his nine actors to portray Bryson’s journey and encounters with people on bus and train through mainland Britain.

Nine actors played 88 roles. Steve cleverly used two actors, Matt Baxter and Alan Wales, as the young Bryson on his arrival in Britain and the older one retracing his steps, respectively. Matt maintained a passable gentle North American accent throughout the first act and conveyed well Bryson’s awe, amazement and enthusiasm at what he saw as the wonderful eccentricities of the British. Starting in Dover with a dragon of a landlady and his schoolboy enjoyment of the London Underground, he got a job in a psychiatric hospital despite having no experience, before his transition into journalism. Sam Harris was a wonderful complementary character as his wife Cynthia.

Laughs were relatively few and far between in the first act but after the interval Alan had the benefit of a much more humorous but much longer script with lengthy monologues. Alan, who made no real attempt at an American accent but whose performance was not lessened by that, gave a marvellous performance. He showed Bryson’s love of Britain and the British, and there was no malice or cynicism in the humour.

Amelia Fewtrill-Webster and Alex Holmes were particularly outstanding, but all the cast were word perfect in their numerous roles and deserve credit.

The only criticism is that Bryson’s book does not translate well as a play. Bryson’s strength as a wordsmith could only be conveyed in a limited way on stage despite the cast’s very best efforts and was lost in this adaptation.

Until June 29. Visit talismantheatre.co.uk or call 856548 to book.