THE CRACKED POT by Blake Morrison Northern Broadsides

Tour

THE CRACKED POT
by Blake Morrison

Northern Broadsides, touring to 16 November 2001
Runs 2hrs 25min One interval
Review Timothy Ramsden at Viaduct Theatre, Halifax 15 September

Theatre at its best, with superb performances of a magnificent script in Barrie Rutter’s fresh, inventive revival.Blake Morrison’s taken a polite old German comedy, shoved it into his Yorkshire home town Skipton and rendered it in flavoursome Yorkshire speech to make marvellous comic mayhem. It’s like letting the Marx brothers loose on a courtroom drama.

Judge Adam’s trying to try the case of a young swain an England two centuries back for smashing a local woman’s jug. He claims he didn’t. And he’s breaking off his engagement with her daughter since he saw her canoodling with someone else. Adam’s problem is he was jug-smasher and canoodler both. Normally, no problem. The locals’d never suspect; his clerk might, but would keep quiet.

Trouble is, today sees an inspection by a judge from foreign parts, ie Manchester. There ensues two hours of anarchic hilarity as Barrie Rutter’s Adam seeks to evade, confuse and terminate proceedings. Rutter’s Adam’s a wondrous comic creation, stalking the courtroom, suddenly going into freeze-frame at a crisis, his face taking leave of the action to go into a parenthesis of consternation or revelation. Asked by the Manchester man why he’s collecting taxes for the Leeds-Liverpool canal since it’s not yet been built, it takes only a moment for Yorkshire pride to summon the response, ‘ ‘appen it ‘asn’t your side of Pennines’.

John Branwell’s Judge Walter twigs soon enough but all his hints and behind the chair discussions get nothing out of old Adam. Then he has to deal with Sarah Parks’ marvellously garrulous old Martha, retailing her three-volume history of the precious artefact, and Christine Cox’ similarly circumstantial Aunt Bridget.

As for the accused, Andy Wear’s Leslie; he and his dad Tommy (Andrew Vincent) exude inarticulate rage throughout. Add Michelle Hardwick’s fury as put-upon young Eve and Andrew Whitehead’s quietly back-stabbing clerk and there’s an unforgettable comedy evening.

Judge Adam: Barrie Rutter
Bright: Andrew Whitehead
Meg: Christine Cox
Judge Walter: John Branwell
Tommy: Andrew Vincent
Leslie: Andy Wear
Martha: Sarah Parks
Eve: Michelle Hardwick
Aunt Bridget: Christine Cox

Director: Barrie Rutter
Designer: Jessica Worrall
Lightin: Kay Packwood

Tours in rep with OEDIPUS to Stockton-on-Tees, Skipton, Liverpool, Scarborough, Bristol, Thoresby, Stratford-upon-Avon.

2001-09-24 01:41:14