Preview: Merlin and the Cave of DreamsMerlin and the Cave of Dreams by Charles Way Is By Robert W. McDowell, Triangle Theater Review, E-mail: RobertM748@aol.com Raleigh Little Theatre will present prize-winning Welsh dramatist Charles Way’s children’s play Merlin and the Cave of Dreams on April 6, 7, 12-15, and 19-22 in its Cantey V. Sutton Theatre. RLT youth theater and education director Linda O’Day Young will stage the show, which was first produced in 2004 at the Library Theatre in Manchester, UK. (Way won the 2004 Children’s Award, presented by Arts Council England, for his play Red Red Shoes.) The Guardian of London called Merlin a “rare and mature piece of children’s theatre, in both thought and form.… [I]t satisfies on every level.” On its web site, Raleigh Little Theatre writes: “Long, long ago in the time of swords, young Arthur [Andrew Britt] journeys to the Otherworld to find his true mother and father. He crosses into Avalon in a magical golden boat and encounters ferocious giants and dragons. With Merlin’s [Timothy Cherry] guidance, can Arthur find the inner strength to face his destiny and fight his foes? Will he remove the sword from the stone and claim his rightful kingdom? The show is sure to please the Harry Potter fan in your household. [Merlin and the Cave of Dreams is r]ecommended for children ages seven and up.” In reviewing the show’s 2004 Library Theatre premiere for Morning Star, Geoff Bottoms wrote, “[This] imaginative, colourful and action-packed reworking of the Arthurian stories in which the adviser Merlin plays such a large part [takes] us on a journey from the bleak, cold and inhospitable Britain of the sixth century AD to the shores of Avalon where the young Arthur meets giants and dragons in his quest to meet his deceased parents and discover his own destiny as king. Brought up by Gwyneth and Ector with Cei as his brother, the adolescent Arthur is told that, after his real mother Igraine died in childbirth, Merlin placed him in their care until his cruel and ruthless father King Uther Pendragon died, upon which he was to be tested by pulling the sword from the stone. Merlin and the Cave of Dreams is the setting for Arthur’s adventures in the Underworld as he comes to terms with his new-found identity through a dream and returns to prove himself the true king of the green kingdom.” The RLT cast for Merlin also includes Andrew Heil as Cei, Fred Corlett as Ector/Rhitta of the Beards, Amy Berenson as Gwyneth/Washer at the Ford, Noelle Barnard as Igraine, and Roger Bridges as Uther Pendragon. Knights include Matthew Lyles, Vincent Mills, Mathew Mollenkopf, Christian Phipps, Michael Rogers, Barney Weaver, and Scott Wray. Handmaidens include Sarah Hogewood, Charlotte Hopson, Laila Knio, Natalie Oliver, Gracie Phipps, and Brittni Thomas. In addition to director Linda O’Day Young, the show’s creative team includes technical director Roger Bridges, scenic designer Rick Young, and costume designer Vicki Olson. In reviewing the 2004 presentation of Merlin and the Cave of Dreams by Imagination Stage of Bethesda, MD—a production that earned a Helen Hayes Award nomination for the Charles MacArthur Award for Best New Play or Musical of 2004—Jayne Blanchard of The Washington Times wrote, “Forget the movie King Arthur. It’s nothing but fisticuffs and Keira Knightley’s pout. For the real scoop on Arthurian fables, eschew the multiplex for [this] moody and mystical Merlin and the Cave of Dreams. Written by British playwright Charles Way, who lives in a part of Wales not far from Merlin’s reputed birthplace, Merlin takes us back to a time when King Arthur was not the confident and precedent-busting monarch of legend.” In reviewing the show’s world-premiere production in Manchester for The British Theatre Guide, David Chadderton of claimed, “[Merlin and the Cave of Dreams] is about as far away from pantomime as it is possible to get. Instead of fast-moving knockabout comedy, pop songs and former soap stars, Charles Way’s lyrical script … is slow-moving and wordy but fascinating. The story, which displays many influences from European mythology, traces Arthur’s journey from discovering the true identity of his parents to drawing Excalibur from the stone and becoming King. In between, he has to journey through the underworld and confront a number of difficult challenges, just like many other mythical heroes from different cultures and traditions.” Raleigh Little Theatre presents Merlin and the Cave of Dreams Friday, April 6, 13, and 20, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 7, 14, and 21, at 1 and 5 p.m.; Sunday, April 15 and 22, at 1 and 5 p.m.; and Thursday, April 12 and 19, at 7:30 p.m. in its Cantey V. Sutton Theatre, 301 Pogue St., Raleigh, North Carolina. $15 ($13 students). 919/821-3111 or click here. Note: All shows are wheelchair accessible, and assistive listening devices are available for all shows. Raleigh Little Theatre: http://www.raleighlittletheatre.org/performances/merlin.html. WHAT: The TRIANGLE THEATER REVIEW is a FREE weekly e-mail theatrical newsletter, featuring previews and reviews by Robert W. McDowell and reviews by Alan R. Hall and others. (For brief bios of our critics, see the CVNC biographies page.) 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