THE MASSACRE & REQUIEM To 27 June.
Bury St Edmunds.
THE MASSACRE and REQUIEM
by Elizabeth Inchbald new by Jonathan Lichtenstein.
version by Daniel O’Brien.
Theatre Royal To 27 June 2009.
Runs 2hr One interval.
Review: Timothy Ramsden 26 June.
A message from the past for modern intolerance.
This week-long run has been another first for the Theatre Royal, working with the Theatre department of Essex University. And the revival of Regency local lass Elizabeth Inchbald’s sole tragedy also sees director Colin Blumenau spreading stylistic wings in relating modern production methods to period drama.
The Massacre dates from 1792, the height of the French Revolution’s ferocity. The slightly-adapted script performed here removes references to France and specific character names, universalising the story of political revenge-attacks.
This de-nationalizing process, together with the folk-like melodic shapes of Eamonn O’Dwyer’s music, Chiara Stephenson’s classic yet abstract setting and casting from across an ethnic spectrum of British actors, suggests various modern theatres of conflict: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Palestine, Baltic ethnic cleansing. Lines leap out as if written today (some six of them apparently were – how nice to have known which).
Only the author’s Enlightenment faith in ultimate justice from the top seems over-optimistic in a modern world of fundamentalism, race-hatred and leaders whose services are purchasable. Most judges, or politicians, would be happy to deform justice rather than take up office, as here, specifically in the name of forgiveness.
Bury’s performances are uneven, but Maya Sondhi vividly portrays the rebel’s Wife, while Madhav Sharma gives a considered, if occasionally underpowered, account of his Father. If it’s hard to believe the repressive army mob looking for the Black son should mistake the Asian father for him, that only adds to the point of the casting.
The hour-long Massacre is followed by Jonathan Lichtenstein’s new 40-minute afterpiece Requiem, performed by Essex University students directed by Robert Price. Language and setting refer to Inchbald’s age. Two polite and shallow ladies are keen to show their latest fad to their gentlemen callers. These are members of the colonising forces, who shock the ladies with their stories of dealing with natives.
The true horror only emerges with the arrival of a retributive foreign figure. In a striking final image, home society drinks tea and dances inanely while their unexpected guest stands centre-stage. Working through images and implications, Lichtenstein’s play intriguingly contrasts the earlier play’s direct expression of ideas.
The Massacre,
The Wife: Maya Sondhi.
The Father: Madhav Charma.
The Friend: Eamonn O’Dwyer.
The Confidante: Emma Connell.
The Husband: Eugene Washington.
The Domestic: Harriet Garbas.
The Mob Leader: Russell Simpson.
The 1st Follower: Laura Kidd.
The 2nd Follower: Greg Robinson.
The 3rd Follower: Tory Charles.
The Judge: Abdi Gouhad.
The Captain: Robert Gilbert.
Director: Colin Blumenau.
Designer: Chiara Stephenson.
Lighting: Prema Mehta.
Composer: Eamonn O’Dwyer.
Dramaturg: Helga Brandt.
The Requiem
Harriet: Rachel Nelson.
Georgette: Leanna Ocean.
Costly: Eleanor Hall.
Captain Horatio: Rebecca Giles.
Commander Spore: Rhiannon Maile.
Ng Swat Lan: Magdalena Kleszcz.
Director: Robert Price.
Lighting: Nikk Turnham.
Sound: Mike Trim.
Choreographer: Emmeline Cresswell.
2009-06-30 01:30:34