THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE. To 8 October.
Colchester/London
THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE
by Francis Beaumont.
Mercury Theatre To 24 September 2005.
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat 22 24 Sept 2.30pm.
Runs 2hr 15min One interval.
TICKETS: 01206 573948.
www.mercurytheatre.co.uk
then Barbican Theatre London.
29 Sept-8 Oct 2005-09-21 Mon-Sat 7.16pm Mat 2pm 8 Oct.
Post-show talk 4 Oct.
TICKETS: 0845 120 7511 9booking fee).
www.barbican.org.uk (reduced booking fee online)
Review: Timothy Ramsden 20 September.
DVDs don't get more interactive than this.
Shakespeare, Ayckbourn, Agatha Christie: top names in the most-produced playwrights list, sharing a knack with form. Shakespeare, for example, turned torrid revenge tragedy into Hamlet, Ayckbourn frequently plays around with use of the stage. And Christie's often-adapted crime novels subvert most genre expectations.
London's Young Vic has lighted on another such in its Young Genius season at the Barbican and theatres round the country. Aged 23, Shakespeare's thrusting young contemporary Francis Beaumont helped establish himself as the newest thing in drama with this 1607 comedy. It's more young ingenuity than pure genius, but it shook expectations in a way only 20th century theatre would take further.
There was plenty of interplay between actors and audiences in the Elizabethan public playhouse. Beaumont goes further, having a straightforward adventure play almost at once interrupted by a Grocer and his Wife. Hardly regular theatregoers, this city pair know it all and soon shove their apprentice Rafe and his fellows on stage to interact with the regular cast.
It's a fun idea Anna Mackmin's production builds skilfully, leaving theatrical mayhem till later. The interruption's presented as a clash of ages, Jonathan Fensom's carefully elegant Jacobean scenery swishing back to reveal modern theatrical accoutrements, the Grocer's team in modern costumes baseball caps (one union-jack striped) - with sporting bikes plus an eventual van.
Felix Dexter and Ingrid Lacey, laid back and helpfully interfering respectively, comment blithely from the stalls or take the stage to tick characters off: they know what they like and how people should behave. Gradually become involved in the play, they call out like folk in front of the TV.
The actors try to carry on, sometimes giving up or skirting round the interlopers. Rafe Spall as his apprentice namesake gains in confidence, from worthily amateurish reading of lines to glorying in action and his roustabout London speech (lines transmuted in the finale of Britten's Spring Symphony).
Mackmin allows serious moments, when night, lost love or death occur. Elsewhere, the basic plot proceeds steadily, if unexcitingly. In the end it's a knockout victory to the Grocer, his wife and their merry men.
Master Humphrey: Spencer Brown.
Luce: Toby Dantzic.
A Citizen: Felix Dexter.
Jasper: Ryan Early.
Tim: Tim Freeman.
Michael/Dancing Boy: Robert Galas.
Master Merrythought: Simon Green.
Citizen's Wife: Ingrid Lacey.
Venturewell: Geoff Leesley.
Mistress Merrythought: Tim Potter.
Rafe: Rafe Spall.
George: Dale Superville.
Director: Anna Mackmin.
Designer: Jonathan Fensom.
Lighting: Paul Anderson.
Sound: Paul Arditti.
Composer: Tim Sutton.
Choreographer: Scarlett Mackmin.
Fight director: Terry King.
Assistant director: Psyche Stott.
2005-09-21 08:22:42