MEASURE FOR MEASURE. To 30 March.
Scotland
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
by William Shakespeare
Dundee Rep Theatre To 30 March 2002
Runs 2hr 40min One interval
Tickets 01382 223530
Review Thelma Good 13 March
Professional and non-professional performers shine but the overall balance is awkward.Six Dundee ensemble players join with 22 of the Dundee Community Company in Ron Whyte and Peter Arnottt’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. And some things come to light as a result, a comic actor with instinctive talent or a fine portrayal of anguish, both from the community actors. The production’s staged in modern time and dress, sex shows flashing their wares in neon and stalking PVC booted tall dominatrix flaunting themselves as punter and low life trade get their kicks in crowd scenes lively with community actors.
As Pompey the pimp, Paul D. Clarke is a marvellous clown and gets the comic dynamic of this play, performing well with his fellow community, and the ensemble, actors. He may be seedy but you hope he’ll succeed. Anne Howie gives a moving performance as Mariana, Angelo’s spurned lover. The community company spiritedly play their varied roles - some big, some small - handling their script (adapted into modern Dundonian) generally with confidence, despite the lines’ limited vocabulary. Shakespeare borrowed words from all over his country making his texts very rich; the adapted sections are unnecessarily impoverished in comparison.
Among the ensemble actors John Ramage makes a fine righteous Angelo, taking advantage of his appointment to rule in the Duke’s absence by cleaning up Vienna’s seedy night life. The Duke disguises himself as a Friar; Sandy Neilson makes him more grandfatherly than a manipulative rule. Emily Winter’s Isabella is a modern noviciate nun, a detached innocent unable to let herself trade her body for her brother’s life. Alexander West gives Lucio a fly, nearly raunchy air while Keith Fleming’s Claudio, facing death for impregnating his intended, is clearly an earnest young lover. Newcomer to the ensemble Robert Paterson plays Escalus like his recent Egeus at Brunton - both are sycophantic, unsympathetic characters.
It is, though, a rather uneven production, with a sense of two companies rehearsed apart despite good performance from most individuals from both.
Duke: Sandy Neilson
Isabella: Emily Winter
Angelo: John Ramage
Escalus: Robert Paterson
Mariana: Anne Howie
Claudio: Keith Fleming
Juliet: Charlene O’Shea/Victoria Tait
Lucio: Alexander West
Lucio's Friends: Patricia Barron, June Doull
Provost: Peter Spence
Friar: Drew Tasker/Phil Maguire
Elbow: David Scrimgeour
Froth: Jack Findlay
Pompey: Paul D. Clarke
Abhorson: Kate Phinn/Kath Stewart
Barnadine/Street Lad: Steve Martin
Francisca: Nan Rice
Mistress Overdone: Stella Jackson
Busker: Raymond Usher
Messenger/Officer/Street Lad: Billy Soutar
Overdone's Woman: Débora Izaguirre
Music Man: David Tares
Street Lads: Darren Domm, Kieren Ritchie, Dean Stewart, Sandy Jack
Street Girls: Carrie Anderson, Roya Varjivandi
Directors: Hamish Glen, Stephen Stenning
Designer: Gregory Smith
Lighting: Jeanine Davies
Voice Coach: Ros Steen
Assistant Stage Manager on the book Graham Baird
Stage Management Support Community Andrea Young
Acting Coaches: Irene Macdougall, Rodney Matthew
Singing Coach: Anna Newell
2002-03-25 15:48:30