SPIKE MILLIGAN'S ADOLF HITLER: MY PART IN HIS DOWNFALL To 28 November.
Tour.
SPIKE MILLIGAN’S ADOLF HITLER: MY PART IN HIS DOWNFALL
adapted by Ben Power and Tim Carroll.
Bristol Old Vic Tour to 28 November 2009.
Runs 2hr 20min One interval.
Review by Harry Mottram 7 July.
Spike in the Second World War.
Like Spike Milligan’s war memoirs, this drama is a ramble of brilliant ideas, some funny, some fantastical, some flawed. Adaptors Ben Power and Tim Carroll have been too reverential to the comic genius, jazz musician and author. With such rich material, they didn’t seize on a single narrative voice to anchor the story.
The play remains faithful to Milligan’s eccentric, scatty style, but it’s a rather bitty night’s entertainment: at its best stunning, building richly creative scenes inspired by observations of life in the British army, the Second World War and above all the music of the time. At its less successful, the production is predictable and occasionally flat, though always maintaining high performance standards.
Within the framework of an army mess-hall entertainment is Milligan’s voice - his description of the outbreak of war, experiences as a sex stud in an Italian brothel, following his life in uniform from blighty to North Africa. Punctuating the songs, sketches and dances, monologues and impersonations offer a stream of jokes, one-liners and pithy observations from Milligan’s 1970s comic best-sellers.
It’s a must-see show for Milligan fans and anyone who with an interest in the war; younger people and those with little interest in army life may well find themselves looking at their watches.
Sholto Morgan is outstanding as quirky gunner Milligan. His mad-eyes, off-at-an-angle hairstyle and inability to look parade ground smart capture the reluctant combatant. His journey from jokey recruit to stammering, shell-shocked campaigner is engaging and ultimately moving.
MC Matthew Devereaux is a confident ad-libber, Hitler impersonator, musician and plum-voiced CO, commanding the auditorium from opening disaster to closing collapsing scenery. David Morley Hale looks like a wizened Tommy with his sneers and his nobbly knees. Dominic Gerrard and Matthew Rutherford make up the class cast of multi-talented male actors.
Yet music leaves the strongest impression – familiar numbers of the era given constant creative twists, aided by Oliver Jackson’s musical supervision and Sian Williams’ choreography.
The production enjoys superb stagecraft, hilarious highlights and marvellous music, but ultimately rambles, entertains, explodes into action but at times falters. Rather like Spike Milligan himself.
Spike: Sholto Morgan.
Edington: Dominic Gerrard.
Goldsmith: William Findley.
Kidgell: David Morley Hale.
Bandmaster: Matthew Devereaux.
Director: Tim Carroll.
Designer: Laura Hopkins.
Lighting: James Farncombe.
Sound: John Leonard.
Choreographer: Sian Williams.
2009-07-09 23:42:14