THE DEVIL AT COVENTRY: Till 28 June
Coventry
THE DEVIL AT COVENTRY: Neil Duffield
Belgrade: Tkts: 024 7655 3055
Runs: 1h 30m, no interval
Review: Rod Dungate, 25 June 2003
Thinly written piece that patronises its audience of whatever age at every turn
At least Neil Duffield's play has its heart nearly in the right place: it tells the story of a small group of Fourteenth Century peasants that rise up against the oppression of the landed (and French) aristocracy. They are encouraged to do this by a preacher, John Ball, and the devastating effects of the Black Death.
I say the play has its heart nearly in the right place because it wears it far too clearly on its sleeve. The message of the play is baldly placed at the end with little art or artifice to dramatise it, make it interesting nor explore its complexities.
The lack of art or artifice is the overriding weakness of this play. Duffield's writing (which I assume is for young people) is old-fashioned, flat and patronising the last of these being the cardinal sin. He weaves his story together in an unlikely series of events and character is at all times sacrificed to narrative. Drama is constantly replaced by direct address story-telling. A desire to inform becomes little more than whole-class teaching (Woman Archer Ellen Green begins one 'This is an English long bow . . . ')
A hard-working cast of four struggles to breathe life into the DOA script, particularly when it becomes virtually a parody of itself. The characters become fractious under stress and Good Person Robert Tyler says 'We're here to fight the French not each other.' And how, in all honesty, does an actor cope with this at the end of the play 'We could make a play out of this' (yes, really.)
Director Juliet Forster has not been able to bring definition nor vitality to the piece. There needs to be a much tighter integration of music and play. Her choice to use actors and recorders is unfortunate: these are not strong instruments, they lack the power needed to drive the play and appear, therefore, tentative.
I note from the programme that Duffield has more than fifty plays to his name perhaps this one was cut and pasted from others stored under his bed . . .
Adam Fletcher: Greg Hobbs
Ellen Green/ Lady Dubois: Jacqueline Wood
Robert Tyler/ John Ball: John Paton
Margaret: Lucy Holtom
Director: Juliet Forster
Design: Sara Burton
Lighting: James Farncombe
Composer: Brendan Murphy
2003-06-26 11:36:59