THE OLD MASTERS. To 18 December.
Birmingham/London
THE OLD MASTERS: Simon Gray
Birmingham Rep
Tkts 0121 236 4455
Runs: 2h 40m, one interval, till 19 June
then Comedy Theatre, London To 18 December 2004
TICKETS: 0870 060 6637 (London)
Review: Rod Dungate 10 June 2004
The play doesn't make life easy for you, but it's worth making an effort lovely performances.
This whole play, the whole experience of it, is like the main character, Bernard Berenson - BB. It's tempestuous, irritable at times, elegant, highly intelligent. It pushes you away which means its difficult to like, but its style and emotional strength simmering below the surface, enable you, despite yourself to fall in love, just a little, with it.
It's set in Italy just before WW II, a past his best art academic (BB) disputes with a wealthy art dealer over the value and artistic origins of a painting Titian or Giorgione. His wife is dying, his long-suffering PA is still in love with him. Both women know of his sexual philandering. The cash value of art is measured against the human suffering in front of us and against the terrors of war we know are to come.
The two men's argument over who painted the picture is seen to become valueless, the beauty of the painting all important. In the audience we are left with a dilemma I suspect none of us can resolve; we want to believe the price put on art is ridiculous, intellectually, but the strength of the actors' performances, particularly their strength of belief in what they are doing, simply will not let us in spite of ourselves, we care.
There is marvellous acting here. Edward Fox (BB), delicately lunges through the play. It's a hugely physical performance; he's tightly wound up, and only occasionally does the character appear to relax. Mercurial, too; at one moment an old man, then he laughs and we see the young boy within. These are magical moments.
The long sections with Fox and Peter Bowles (dealer Duveen) are fascinating. Bowles may look elegant (nb men, double cuffs make all the difference!) but Bowles never lets us forget that he's a market trader in a cut-throat market. The contrast between the two men is subtly made crystal clear.
Barbara Jefford brings carefully understated humanity into the play, but as she grows in stature in the closing moments opens up into the tower of strength we see the two men have relied on over the years.
Pinter chooses an easy pace that allows the play to burn slowly but no less dangerously. This battle is not fought on city streets (at least it wasn't then), but in elegant surroundings among the rich and even richer.
Bernard Berenson: Edward Fox
Duveen: Peter Bowles
Mary: Barbara Jefford
Nicky: Sally Dexter
Fowles: Steven Pacey
Director: Harold Pinter
Set Designer: Eileen Diss
Costume Designer: Dany Everett
Lighting Designer: Mick Hughes
Sound Designer: John Leonard for Aurora Sound
Assistant Director: Katie Read
2004-06-13 11:43:13