THEATRE: Mountain

I can't say I was excited at the prospect of watching the latest production of Keighley youth theatre, HYT.

But I needn't have worried, for at the very least an HYT production is always enjoyable.

At the best it is very funny, imaginative, thought provoking and peppered with moments of theatrical excellence.

Mountain was all of these, as well as being thoroughly weird in places.

While playing to the strengths of HYT's current young membership, it recalled both the serious drama and quirky humour of the group's previous ensembles.

Mountain did boast a lot of information, statistical and geographical, but these were presented in a succession of inventive and entertaining ways.

Take the opening scene for example: the entire membership in black T-shirts turning to the audience one by one to relay the vital statistics of some mountain or other.

Within a few minutes one or two of the cast seemed to get bored and started making fun of the information, the dialogue descending into irreverent banter.

Then just when you think the whole thing is going to be a mickey take, there was a poetic song about mountains followed by a dramatic scene portraying legendary creatures of the hills.

Then we were introduced to a fell-walking geek and his two reluctant companions as they hiked up an unnamed peak.

Then came the real twist: we the audience were expected to join them on their trek!.

Embarrassed grins all round as the entire audience was taken on a walk around the Arts Factory complex, staying close to the wall so we didn't fall off, and jumping over imaginary precipices.

A few minutes later, safely seated in the second auditorium, we were treated to imaginative, amusing and often touching playlets about the first days of mountaineering during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Another hike later we were at the top of our mountain and back in themain room, the 19-strong cast relating the conquest of the greatest mountain of all, Everest.

HYT's spotlight fell not only on the famous climb by Hilary and Tensing in 1953, but also the unsuccessful attempts and the possible first ascent by lost British climber Mallory.

The show was brought to an end by the poignant last conversation between a stranded climber and his wife, sandwiched between a wonderfully silly song about skiing down Everest and a typically upbeat HYT closing number.

I have to say that what initially seemed an unappetising prospect, a play about hills, turned into one of HYT's most original and watchable shows of recent times.

David Knights