PEDRO THE GREAT PRETENDER. To 12 March.
RSC
PEDRO, THE GREAT PRETENDER
by Miguel Cervantes, New translation by Philip Osment
The Playhouse, London in rep 14 February-12 March 2005
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Wed & Sat 2pm
Runs: 3hrs, one interval
TICKETS: 0870 060 6631
Review: Rod Dungate, 16 September 2004 at Swan Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon
Maybe it'll be more of a discovery in another 400 years.There's nothing greatly wrong with PEDRO it's entertaining enough too; the problem is there's nothing surprisingly right about it, nothing that marks this out as a great play of Spanish 16th Century drama. The story itself centres around the witty servant Pedro who involves himself in a series of events which require him to use his wit, cunning, power of disguise and gift of the gab to win through. He also becomes a gypsy, falls for the most haughty one. She sets out to seduce a king with a jealous wife but turns out to be the king's niece. Character plays second fiddle to plot.
Mike Alfreds directs and opts for at times a stylised performance at other times a broad-brush rough-around-the-edges style. The problem with this is that, in the intimate Swan surroundings, when the play desperately needs to draw us in, the performance as a whole, pushes us away. It's simply too big, too loud. The company watch the action throughout; this does nothing to add to our pleasure and does a great deal to distract from it. Actors swigging from plastic bottles of water before they, well, act, instead of looking casual and natural, give every appearance of being highly staged they look unnatural.
John Ramm plays Pedro, a big task as he both drives the play along and serves as a bridge between it and us. He's engaging and energetic, but the playing style doesn't allow him to speak to us, rather he speaks at us. Only as he introduces each episode does he relax and communicate directly with us, giving a glimpse of how things might be.
Joseph Millson makes a wonderfully neurotic aristocratic King his huge temper tantrum is marvellous. Rebecca Johnson makes a welcome contribution as the hopelessly jealous Queen; she sits back on her characterisation and this allows her to mine greater humour.
At the end of the play Pedro becomes an actor (called Miguel Cervantes!). He concludes with a speech (moved from earlier in the text) about acting a kind of 'Pedro's advice to the actors'. In it he says (of an actor) 'in speech he can't be grandiose,/ nor affected in his gesture.' In terms of Alfreds' production, there's a great irony in that.
Clemente: Simon Trinder
Pedro: John Ramm
Benita: Katherine Kelly
Clemencia: Emma Pallant
Diego Tarugo: James Chalmers
Martin Crespo: Julius D'Silva
Sancho Macho: John Wark
Lagartija: Oscar Pearce
Hornochuelos: Joseph Chance
Redondo: Oliver Williams
Pascual: William Buckhurst
Roque: Vinta Morgan
Maldonado: John Stahl
Ines: Joanna Van Kampen
Belica: Claire Cox
Marina Sanchez: Melanie MacHugh
Llorente: Joseph Chance
Diego-fly-The-Coop: William Buckhurst
Gil: Vinta Morgan
Master of the Revels: Oliver Williams
Blind Man: Matt Ryan
The King: Joseph Millson
Silerio: Oscar Pearce
The Queen: Rebecca Johnston
Gentleman: Simon Trinder
Marcelo: Peter Sproule
Farmer: Joseph Chance
First Player: John Wark
Second Player: Matt Ryan
Third Player: Vinta Morgan
Director: James Chalmers
Singers: Julius D'Silva/ John Wark
Directed by: Mike Alfreds
New Translation by: Philip Osment
Designed by: Rae Smith
Season Stage Designed by: Es Devlin
Lighting Designed by: Ben Ormerod
Music Composed by: Ilona Sekacz
Choreography by: Leah Hausman
Assistant Director: Chris White
Music Director: Michael Tubbs
Voice and Dialect Work by: Jeannette Nelson
2004-09-19 17:24:14