MAN IS MAN to 25 May
London
MAN IS MAN
by Bertolt Brecht, translation Steve Gooch
The Steam Industry at Finborough Theatre To 25 May 2002
Tues - Sat 7.30pm Sun 3.30pm
Runs 2 hours One interval
TICKETS 020 7373 3842
Review Danny Braverman 10 May
An energetic and entertaining production that admirably makes up for the unevenness of this early Brecht play.Despite the programme's assertion that this play is not a 'curious museum piece' but 'a forward-thinking examination of a person under pressure', Brecht's early Man is Man (1925) remains something of an oddity. Its content is pertinent to today, dealing as it does with questions of identity in times of war. However, the story of Galy Gay, the innocent abroad embroiled in an absurd and anachronistic conflict, is told by a playwright still searching for a workable form. The result has moments of irony and humour, but is ultimately repetitious and lacks coherence, undermining its relevance.
Nevertheless, for Brecht aficionados it's a very interesting play, particularly with respect to the themes and formal experiments that he was to explore in his later work. He subsequently produced much more powerful statements on the theme of war and considerably refined his theatrical style. Many of the elements of more successful plays - Mother Courage, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Arturo Ui - are present here in embryonic form.
The Steam Industry's production manages to overcome the play's inadequacies, making for an energetic and engaging evening. There is a strong sense of ensemble in this company. Jamie Zubairi's Galy Gay is played with a charming lightness of touch, contrasting effectively with Simon Balfour, Jonathan Tanner and Sandra Patton's trio of knockabout soldiers, as they lure the hapless Galy Gay into getting them out of a tight spot.
The relationship between director and designer is obviously a strong one. Ana Mestre's design, presumably realised on a tight budget, is intelligent and imaginative. The guns are carefully carved wooden replicas that remind us of the violent reality of weaponry, while remaining congruous with the playfulness of the acting style. Brecht's rather feeble fake elephant joke is carried off with considerable panache, a delightful pantomime pachyderm constructed with military paraphernalia.
Director Mervyn Millar has his actors ingeniously popping up in every nook and cranny of the space. Sat in the round, there always seems to be action behind, above, around us and offstage on the stairs leading down to the bar. Asides to the audience are cheeky and pointed, the musical commentaries vigorous. All these elements make up Millar's winning strategy and he succeeds in creating a hearty and welcoming ambience in which the play can be shown to its best advantage.
Widow Begbick/Mrs Gay: Claire Lubert
Galy Gay: Jamie Zubairi
Jesse Mahoney: Jonathan Tanner
Jeraiah Jip/Solider: Adam Buckles
Polly Baker: Sandra Patton
Uriah Shelley: Simon Balfour
Sergeant Fairchild: Matthew Hendrickson
Wang the Bonze/Soldier: Leonard Estranero
Soldier: Simon Holland Roberts
Soldier: Simon Purse
Director: Mervyn Millar
Design: Ana Mestre
Lighting: Ben Pickersgill
Music: Annemarie Lewis Thomas
Sound: Adam Keeper
Technical Operator: Michael Moul
2002-05-14 11:45:12