Pericles till 6 January 2007.
PERICLES: William Shakespeare.
RSC, The Swan (Part of the Complete Works Festival).
Runs 2h 55, one interval, till 6 January 2007.
Review: Rod Dungate, 15 November 200.6
Delightful and rewarding storytelling.
It’s promenade – at just under 3 hours a long stand for the promenaders. But they do a grand job – and Shakespeare’s ramshackle play is transformed into a story that delights. The Swan is always an intimate space, but within the promenade setting (and within Mike Britton’s beautiful staging of levels, walkways and a large curving ramp) the Swan becomes more like your village hall. And in our village hall – whether it is Mediterranean European or North African – Gower unfolds his tale and organises its events for our pleasure; yes, for our personal pleasure.
The nature of this play is a problem for it as a play, it feels perversely linear. Pericles is forced to flee his own country, not his fault of course. But then he and his family encounter hardships and joys – storms at sea, tournaments won, wife that dies, baby that’s lost, wicked step-mother, innocent into slavery and so on. These are the elements of myth, legend and folk-tale. It is the folk-tale with its archetypes, often newly shaped by Shakespeare, brought alive by these actors, that lives in front of us; this is Dominic Cooke’s great achievement.
The all-important sense of journey is greatly enhanced by the African and European settings clearly set up for us; the sense of mystery and magic heightened in some lovely designs.
Lucian Msamati is an engaging Pericles. He has an easy-going nature that contacts us directly and enables us to share his journey with him. But he also has many sides to his character, his passion is deep and believable, particularly in the all-important reunions with his daughter and later with his wife.
Kate Fleetwood’s Thaisa (Pericles’s wife) is beautiful and dignified. But just as with Msamati, she has a humanity that engages our hearts. Ony Uhiara (Pericles’s daughter, Marina) is a charming and innocent child who grows in front of us into a young dignified woman.
Joseph Mydell’s Gower is perfect – friendly, just the tiniest bit pompous, and revelling in his old-fashioned rhyme. Richard Moore is adorable as King Simonides, full of humour and good humour (no wonder his subjects speak so highly of him). Not to be missed is Linda Bassett’s hippy healer Cerimon – entirely seriously portrayed but never losing sight of the delight in story-telling – combined with a wicked double as the Bawd in the Brothel.
Gower: Joseph Mydell.
Pericles: Lucian Msamati.
King Antiochus: Clarence Smith.
His Daughter: Ony Uhiara.
Thaliart: Nyasha Hatendi.
Helicanus: Ben Onwukwe.
Lords: Maynard Eziashi, Jason Barnett.
Cleon: Maynard Eziashi.
Dionyza: Frances Ashman.
Marina: Ony Uhiara.
Leonine: Mark Theodore.
Lord: Mark Theodore.
Pirates: Jason Barnett, Clarence Smith.
Master Fisherman: Robin Lawrence.
Fishermen: Trystan Gravelle, Richard Katz.
King Simonides: Richard Moore.
Thaisa: Kate Fleetwood.
Knights: Jason Barnett, Danny Dalton, Simon Harrison, Nyasha Hatendi, Ashley Rolfe.
Lychorida: Amanda Daniels.
Master Sailor: Robin Lawrence.
Sailor: Jason Barnett.
Cerimon: Linda Bassett.
Philemon: Michelle Terry.
Gentlemen: Ashley Rolfe, Trystan Gravelle.
Servants: Danny Dalton, Clarence Smith.
Pander: Richard Moore.
Boult: Richard Katz.
Bawd: Linda Bassett.
Lysimachus: Nigel Cooke.
Lord: Simon Harrison.
Sailors: Trystan Gravelle, Clarence Smith.
Pirates: Danny Dalton, Simon Harrison.
Directed by: Dominic Cooke.
Designed by: Mike Britton.
Lighting Design by: Chris Davey.
Music by: Gary Yershon.
Sound Design by: Carolyn Downing.
Associate Director: Maria Aberg.
Movement by Liz Ranken.
Fights by: Terry King.
Assistant Director: Russell Bolam.
Dialect Work: William Conacher.
Company Voice Work: Charmian Gradwell.
2006-11-16 20:46:38