Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel: An Old Time Radio Production

Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel: An Old Time Radio Production  | Elemental Theatre Company | Aurora, CO | Curtain Up! | Eric Fitzgerald

Presented by Elemental Theatre Company at The People’s Building in Aurora, The Scarlet Pimpernel: An Old Time Radio Production offers a playful twist on Baroness Orczy’s classic tale. Directed by Mellisa Taylor—who also crafted the adaptation, blending Orczy’s novel with the 1938 Lux Radio Theatre script—the production leans into the charm and chaos of a live radio broadcast, inviting the audience into a world where backstage personalities collide with on‑air heroics.

Taylor’s adaptation is built on a clever conceit: the audience watches a troupe of radio performers attempt to deliver The Scarlet Pimpernel while juggling missed cues, interpersonal frictions, and the unpredictable mechanics of live sound effects. The radio‑play portion is intentionally streamlined, hitting the major beats of Orczy’s story without lingering on its richer political or emotional textures. Instead, the production’s energy comes from the interplay between “on‑air” melodrama and “off‑air” comedy, with the actors toggling between their fictional roles and their frazzled radio‑station selves.

This dual structure gives the show its charm, but it also reveals its limitations. The adaptation never fully commits to retelling The Scarlet Pimpernel in a way that might satisfy fans of the novel; nor does it push the backstage comedy into the sharper territory that would elevate the meta‑theatrical frame. The result is a pleasant hybrid—light, amiable, and occasionally inventive—but not a script with much dramatic weight.

L to R: Emi Newton, Jackie Maddox, Atticus Levy, Chris Brown | Photography credit: Leah Grossman

The ensemble is the production’s strongest asset. The cast leans into the heightened style of radio drama with crisp diction, buoyant energy, and a willingness to play broadly when the moment calls for it. Their chemistry is easy and unforced, especially in the backstage sequences where timing and rapport matter most. The Foley work—always a crowd‑pleaser—is executed with confidence, and the actors’ commitment to the bit keeps the evening moving even when the script itself feels thin. Foley, the art of creating live sound effects using everyday objects, becomes a kind of choreography here—hoofbeats conjured from wooden blocks, rustling papers standing in for clandestine letters, doors “opened” with a simple hinge and board. Watching the performers build the soundscape in real time adds a layer of theatrical delight that underscores their precision and teamwork.

Tyler James as Michael Howard | Photography credit: Leah Grossman

In terms of individual contributions, the company offers a set of performances that consistently elevate the material. Chris Brown (Barrett Cockburn) provides a steady presence, grounding both the broadcast and the backstage mayhem with a somewhat affable, quietly authoritative touch. Tyler James (Michael Howard) brings an appealing calm to the sound‑effects table; he’s engaging without ever pushing, and his understated charm gives the production a welcome sense of ease. Atticus Levy, making his professional Denver‑area debut as Eddie Cockburn, shows promise with a performance that’s alert, committed, and fully integrated into the ensemble’s rhythm. Jackie Maddox (Darla Williams) leans into the heightened comedy with gusto, delivering the kind of gleefully oversized choices that suit the radio‑show frame. And perhaps the evening’s standout is Emi Newton (Silvia Sanders), whose vocal work is impressively precise, shifting among characters with clarity, musicality, and a deft sense of period style, giving the broadcast its most polished moments.

Mellisa Taylor’s direction keeps the show moving briskly, and the pacing generally supports the radio‑show conceit. Transitions between “broadcast” and “backstage” are mostly clean, and the staging makes smart use of the People’s Building’s intimate space. Still, the production occasionally feels like it’s waiting for the script to offer more substance. The actors fill the gaps admirably, but the overall arc remains gentle rather than compelling.

Char Worthey’s contributions as both lighting designer and co–sound designer (alongside Tyler James) gives the production much of its shape and atmosphere. Worthey’s lighting choices are clean and purposeful, helping delineate the “on‑air” and “off‑air” worlds while adding subtle warmth to the period aesthetic. The shared sound design supports the radio‑show conceit effectively, balancing the live Foley with prerecorded cues that keep the broadcast moving. The staging itself is intentionally sparse—with no scenic designer credited—which proves entirely appropriate for a piece built around imagination, suggestion, and the mechanics of old‑time radio. The minimal environment allows the performers and the soundscape to take center stage, exactly where this production wants its focus.

At its heart, this production is about theatrical nostalgia—the romance of live performance, the charm of analog storytelling, and the camaraderie of artists making something together under imperfect circumstances. Those themes land, even if lightly. The show celebrates the ingenuity of performers and the delight of watching a story unfold through sound, imagination, and ensemble effort. It’s a love letter to the era of radio drama, even if it doesn’t fully explore the political intrigue or emotional stakes of Orczy’s original tale.

The Scarlet Pimpernel: An Old Time Radio Production is buoyed by strong performances and a playful concept, guided by Mellisa Taylor’s steady direction, even if the script never quite rises to meet the cast’s capabilities. Elemental Theatre Company delivers an enjoyable evening of theatrical nostalgia—one that charms more than it challenges and entertains even when the adaptation itself feels a bit thin. For audiences who enjoy the whimsy of old‑time radio and the charm of a lightly nostalgic theatrical conceit, it’s a pleasant and good‑natured outing.

Information and tickets: https://elementaltheatrecompany.org/