The Winter's Tale (RSC) *****

The Winter’s Tale is one of the last plays that Shakespeare wrote and many people see echoes of his own life in the story. The premature death of a son and the reunification of love and family against all odds seem to speak from a place close to the Bard’s heart. Be this as it may, it is all conjecture and as such becomes only one layer of what is a heavily nuanced play. The balance between reality and fairy tale is played to the limit and the trials of the characters are swift and severe for the most part. The play tries to balance various opposites with each other, giving the show a character unlike his other work. This RSC production captures a perfect balance between these various aspects of what is an enchanting whole.

      

The set design is simple but tremendously effective and warrants first mention. From the opening there are two large bookshelves lined with books that dominate the stage, elaborately filled by a dining table. When Leontes’ world comes crashing down around him, so do the bookshelves in a spectacular and unexpected moment that sees the whole stage change character in one brutal movement. The world becomes full of torn paper and books that act as scenery, grass, leaves on the imaginative trees and even costumes for a dance at the fayre and a puppet for the infamous pursuing bear. The puppet must reach about ten feet high and is marvellous piece of work. The artistic design of this torn paper look is surprisingly well suited to the play, helping it achieve the delicate balance between fairy tale and reality. A fantastically well used effect.

      

The actors take on the gauntlet thrown by the remarkable set and artistic design, carrying the torch with remarkable energy. Foremost among these is Greg Hicks, who is tormented almost from the first instant he appears on stage. The swift and dramatic descent of Leontes is one that can be hard to place without making it full of aimless shouting and general ire. Hicks manages to balance the desire to be rational and the inability to do so in what is a puzzlingly moving performance in the first half. His jealous rage flashes and fires in a powerful and directed way, bringing a reality to the show that is much needed. His performance is powerful, giving the authority that Leontes holds a feel of danger. You feel like you don’t know what he’ll do next even if you know the play. He single-handedly anchors the show in the serious and traumatic.

      

In contrast, Larrington Walker does everything he can to counter this. From the moment he walks on with his walking stick to the moment he leaves dressed up in his new gentlemanly suit he is a perpetual source of comic charm, bringing a lighthearted energy and wit that belies his age. He gifts us with what I would call a youthful performance and one that is a wonderful yin to Greg Hicks’ yan.

      

Noma Dumezweni also deserves a mention for the assured way in which she brings Paulina to the stage. Her character has the unenviable task of confronting the male powerhouses of the story and she does so with an authority that draws you to her. She is tasked with treading the tightrope between the real and the imagined when she has to bring Hermione back to life at the end and she does so with a wonderfully natural talent.

      

The supporting cast were in typically tremendous RSC form, their performances all standing up to the rigour of critique. Samantha Young, Tunji Kasim and Kelly Hunter all deserve a mention for their energetic and emotive contributions. The younger couple making the earlier sheep-shearing fayre a thoroughly enjoyable and ceaselessly entertaining period before the unification at the end plucks at your heartstrings in its magically melancholy way. The beginning of the second half with the introduction of Autolycus and the fayre is a marvelously energetic opposite to the first half, the dancing and costume making a previously dark scene lighten and gives a stage for the youth and magic of childhood and adolescence to fight against the pain of regret and mistakes that the older characters feel. Darrell D’Silva and John Mackay struck up a wonderful partnership as Polixenes and Camillo especially when they appear disguised in their tweed suits and bumbling mannerisms. A wonderful demonstration of ensemble work.

      

The music is an important aspect of the story and is a just as important cog of this production, the musicians both onstage and offstage add colour to the show and along with a very dramatic and sometimes harrowing echo effect it gave the show an added dimension that is hard to achieve, especially with Shakespeare. A similarly enjoyable achievement of the show is the humour that the cast bring out of the show. Understanding the language perfectly and bringing it out in a vivid array of colours and sounds brought laughs and good humour that broke up the harsh torment that takes center stage.

      

The unity of this production is remarkable. It navigates a demanding script with an effortless ease that holds the various facets of the show in a wonderful balance. This is as fine a Shakespeare show as you could wish for: entertaining and provocative, funny and dark, harsh and imaginative. A magnificent show.

Written by William Shakespeare; Directed by David Farr; at the Roundhouse Theatre; starring Darrell D'Silva, Noma Dumezweni, Greg Hicks, Kelly Hunter, John Mackay, Larrington Walker, Brian Doherty, Gruffudd Glyn, Tunji Kasim, Samantha Young; Runs from 14 December 2010 - 01 January 2011 as part of the RSC London Season.

http://roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/productions/rsc-the-winters-tale

John Ord (16/12/2010)

Antony and Cleopatra (RSC) ****

Antony and Cleopatra is not a show I knew a great deal about going in, which is annoying to admit. The show, I’m glad to say, has remedied this wonderfully. The show is clear all the way through and at no point did I feel out of depth or lost with the language, which is a supreme compliment for anyone attempting to stage Shakespeare. Compliments seem to flow naturally for this show, which is a masterful excursion into the realm of Shakespearean drama. From the off the atmosphere is one of high drama, the auditorium filled with smoke, which continues intermittently throughout. The story is one that involved very powerful characters that have great authority and charisma, true leaders of men in a golden age of war and conquest. The show details the fall from grace of perhaps the greatest of these men and as such requires a production that is equally strong and physical. It delivers fantastically.

      

The set was typically RSC and was well done, a rusty wall at the back giving both a fitting backdrop and an innovative system of entrances and exits, the style similar to that of the Romeo and Juliet. The general image of the show was something I liked. It was in perfect keeping with the themes and the story, giving the action a very grounded and real feeling.

      

Darrell D’Silva’s efforts of Antony were unfalteringly majestic throughout. He owned the stage whenever he was present and delivered what was a powerful performance. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of his character; from his beard (definitely worth a mention!) to the depth he had, effortlessly and dramatically bringing Antony to life. He was as a lion, owning the stage in the confidence that it is rightfully his and when challenged, thrashing and lashing out with a violence that was, at times, terrifying and at all times majestic to behold.

      

When I first saw Kathryn Hunter enter the stage as Cleopatra she didn’t wholly convince me. This, however, proved to be a good demonstration of the old adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ as she grew into the role as the drama unfolded, conveying the conflict of her tortured love for Anthony and her pride as the legendary Queen of Egypt with a distraught agony that was violently emotional. Her efforts with her numerous costume changes deserve a mention, as well as her ability to act out the more dramatic scenes powerfully, though her overall performance could have done with more colour.

      

The performance that stood out for me other than Darrell D’Silva was Brian Doherty as Enobarbus. As one of the supporting cast he made a decent bid for a lead role. He was mature and well rounded and his journey was one that you found yourself eager to follow and his end came as a genuinely upsetting moment in the play. He found the character of a battle-hardened soldier who has become disenchanted with life very well, putting his store in his captain above all else. A very strong performance.

      

Other cast members were generally strong in their roles, notably Katy Stephens, Larrington Walker and Clarence Smith. Adam Burton’s Scarus grew from a role that was very much incidental character in the first act to someone who found himself at the center of the action and along with Katy Stephens gave a very emotional portrayal of two strong fighters who are faced with their cause falling down around them. I rate these two (and Brain Doherty) very highly indeed.

      

John Mackay (Caesar) was, however, a bit poor. I found myself struggling with his character and his apparent inconsistency between merciful and brutal. He could have found a better path through the character as he came across confused and inconsistent, which was a disappointment as he was meant to be the challenge to such a strong Antony as Darrell D’Silva.

      

One of the few things that didn’t work in the show is the costume. Any attempt to make a modern dress production of Shakespeare runs a gauntlet of risks and although Antony and Cleopatra makes a valiant effort and largely succeeds there are a few moments where it falls down. Cleopatra has a myriad of amazing costumes throughout but they seem confused at times with the conflict between the archaic language and modern dress not being fully resolved. The decision to put Caesar and a few others in suits as opposed to military gear like the rest of the cast is odd and felt a bit out of place. I would say, however, that it was a largely very successful attempt at modern dress period drama.

      

I also wasn’t a fan of the way in which they portrayed the sea battle but I recognise that it’s a difficult thing to do and have no qualms about them doing it in that way.

      

This is a show that it would be a shame to miss. This is the RSC doing what they do best and doing it well. Apart from the pitfalls that it is incredibly difficult to avoid with Shakespeare it is a generally very able cast giving a very good account of themselves, led from the front by Darrell D’Silva, who gives a truly inspiring performance. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and would recommend it for anyone wanting to see something majestic on stage.

Written by William Shakespeare; Directed by Michael Boyd; at the Roundhouse Theatre; Starring Darrell D'Silva, Kathryn Hunter, Brian Doherty, Adam Burton, Katy Stephens, John Mackay, Greg Hicks, Larrington Walker; Runs from 08 December 2010 - 30 December 2010 as part of the RSC London Season.

http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/productions/rsc-antony-and-cleopatra

John Ord (08/12/2010)

Romeo and Juliet (RSC) ***

Having seen a lot of RSC productions in Stratford-upon-Avon and being awed by the quality (with the necessary exceptions) of the overall body of shows I had high hopes coming to see one in London. I was immediately impressed by the Roundhouse theatre space that is, in essence, a re-working of the RSC Swan theatre; it’s thrust stage giving the company a great deal of space to work with. They set about doing so with an energetic dynamism from the offset, with a wonderfully dramatic and precisely choreographed fight scene that looked like a ridiculous amount of fun. I mean, seriously, fire from the ground, swords and chains and everything. Lucky buggers.

      

The set was a wonderful servant to the show, giving a number of levels that were used excellently as well as the various entrances and exits. The lighting worked well with the set, casting dark shadows across the stage and giving the whole show a very dark and brooding atmosphere throughout. I felt that it could have been a bit lighter, with much of the lighting making it difficult to make out the action in much the same way as the music in the party scene was so loud that the actors forced to shout over it were hardly audible at all. Both the music and the lighting, however, were strong elements of the show. I especially enjoyed the music and dance in the party scene as well as the religious backing music to the Friar’s cell.

      

The acting bears up against scrutiny as well. Sam Troughton makes a surprisingly strong Romeo. With the character commonly being associated with a strong and assertive character he takes a more emotional angle and this comes across well. He strikes the tension in his character with such a desperate approach that we understand the lost character in his anguish. He connects the character more than just being the poster boy and does a very impressive job. Juliet, however, could have been stronger. A couple of times her speech felt directionless, as if she’d forgotten what the words actually meant. Her character seemed a bit shallow almost, as if she hadn’t fully understood all that was happening until her dramatic final scenes.

      

The way in which Jonjo O’Neill tried to make Mercutio comedic must be commended but it did appear as if he was trying to make something out of nothing and it felt like he was forcing a circle into a square hole. His overly outrageous mimes were certainly entertaining and gave him a defined character but I remain unconvinced by the decision to play him that way.

      

The best performance of the show has to be Noma Dumezweni. Her nurse had a character more fully formed than the rest of the cast with mannerisms and a living presence that was certainly missing in the rest of the supporting cast. She had moments where she dominated the stage and I thoroughly enjoyed her assured performance.

     

The show at this point in the review has lots of positive points. However, it was also riddled with odd directorial decisions that dragged it down. Opening with Romeo entering what must have been a modern-day monastery with a camera and being approached by a tour guide seemed to indicate that it would be a modern dress production. The modern dress, however, only continued for the title roles. This meant that while most people were marching around with doublets, capes and tights you had Romeo in a hidden jacket on a bike (yes, a bike) at times and Juliet in an arty shirt and converse shoes. I was struggling with this decision enough before all the characters entered at the death in modern dress, inexplicably changing from their doublets to leather jackets, jeans and the like. Even now I don’t understand exactly what the intention was behind this and how or why it was thought to be plausible.

      

Another odd decision was to add song into the final scenes. Without any warning and with no justification I can think of Balthasar begins to sing some of his lines in a very stylistic way that had no previous part in the show. The result was a jarring halt in the flow as I tried to work out why he was singing and as everybody seemed to lose what he was actually saying. 

      

This was surprising as the rest of the show looked amazing. The non-modern costumes were good, as were the array of props and set that were brought on at various points. The masks for the party scene (which was probably one of the best scenes in the show) deserve special mention for both their functionality and their symbolism. The blocking was a display of confident and technically brilliant direction, the characters moving in patterns and shapes that were delightful to watch, however the more fundamental decisions on the stylistic approach to the show let Rupert Goold’s contribution down.

      

The show was not badly acted, in fact much the opposite, but the decisions to incorporate modern dress and to throw in stylistic odds and ends cluttered the show with unneeded images that hampered its ability to really connect with the audience. The actors do a good job in a show still worth seeing despite these artistic upsets.

Written by William Shakespeare; Directed by Rupert Goold; at the Roundhouse Theatre; Starring Sam Troughton, Mariah Gale, Noma Dumezweni, Jonjo O'Neill, Forbes Masson, Oliver Ryan, Richard Katz; runs from 30 November 2010 - 01 January 2011 as part of the RSC London Season.

http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/productions/rsc-romeo-and-juliet

John Ord (02/12/2010)