THE BITCHES' BALL. To 10 December

London
THE BITCHES' BALL
by Dawn King and Penny Dreadful Theatre Company

Hoxton Hall To 10 December 2006
Tue-Sat 8pm Sun 3pm
Runs: hr 30min No interval

TICKETS: 0207 684 0060
Review: Harriet Davis 24 November 2006

Fast, frantic, enjoyable – and weighty questions.A unique, innovative first offering from physical theatre company Penny Dreadful. Taking its inspiration from an eighteenth century portrait by Joshua Reynolds, it charts the dizzying rise and tragic fall of scandalous actress and writer Mary Robinson. Talented, ambitious and utterly unscrupulous, Mary is adored, abhorred and finally abandoned by respectable society.

Preposterous costumes, grotesque make-up and an endless stream of innuendo make for an entertaining if somewhat chaotic production. The characters (or rather, caricatures) are cartoon nightmares; shrill, overbearing, at times verging on the animalistic. Mira Dovreni does an excellent job in the title role, and the chorus caper around her to joyous effect.

The open nature of the staging means the cast are worked hard; responsible for set changes, costume and in most cases multiple roles. There is little to work with in this tiny venue, so everything is recycled. The fabric of a tent becomes a horse, which becomes a wall, which becomes a cloak. Within seconds the set is littered with props. Any technical mishaps are handled deftly and with expert wit.

The comedy is largely physical, at best reminiscent of Monty Python and early Blackadder; occasionally jokes miss the mark, but the frantic pace is such that it makes little difference. The music is nicely paced and appropriate with sugary, vulgar nursery rhymes providing a narrative of sorts. The script is sharply satirical, with occasional flashes of irreverent humour, particularly effective in the songs.

Despite its playful nature, weighty questions underpin the action. Mary is at once the exploiter and exploited; her hunger for fame brings initial success, but success is by nature fickle. Having torn her way to the top she finds herself discarded. Penniless, homeless and in ill health, Mary makes a final, desperate appeal before death, but no avail. The final image, of Mary’s immortalised image framed by time is a powerful, moving allegory.

Mary Robinson: Mira Dovreni
Malden / Elocution Teacher / Chorus: Paschale Staiton
Prince George / Chorus: Ian Street
Mary’s Mother / Queen / Chrous: Bernadette Russell
Meribah Lorrington / Tom Robinson / King / Chorus: Sarah Ratheram

Director: Mick Barnfather
Designer/Sound: Julian Hanby
Lighting: Christoph Wagner

2006-11-25 17:56:35