THE REVENGER'S TRAGEDY. To 28 August.
London.
THE REVENGER’S TRGEDY
by Thomas Middleton.
Olivier Theatre In rep to 28 August 2008.
26-28 Aug 7.30pm Mat 27 Aug 2pm.
Runs 2hr 45min One interval.
TICKETS: 020 7452 3000.
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 16 August.
Lurid as the programme’s cover but with little behind the high colours.
Confidently, the South Bank attributes this play to newish suspect Thomas Middleton, best-known in the world of Jacobean Tragedy for The Changeling and Women Beware Women (and not nearly well-enough known for his range of comedies).
The 1606 drama follows the tragic formula of its age. There’s a Borgia-like Italian court, suggesting to all good Jacobeans duplicity, secret stratagems, murder and sex; there’s also the contrast of rich corruption and honest poverty seen in Women Beware Women.
But, allowing for leapfrogging in lurid violence on rival Jacobean stages, there’s a knowing sense of overkill in the basic device here, the famous poisoned skull whereby Vindice uses his dead love’s remains to wreak vengeance on her ducal despoiler.
And the progress to revenge works through wild disguise, leading to Vindice being commissioned to kill his alter ego for disgracing the Duke’s son through a scene stolen from farce: thinking he’s surprising the Duchess with a lover, the son rages into the bedroom to find her with her husband.
Prison ensues, but even that has a farcical side, rival brothers planning, like Richard of Gloucester with his brother Clarence, to kill the heir, while rescuing their younger brother. Comically, the wrong brother’s head is cut-off and delivered in a bloody sack. And the famous line that all are mad, except those who’re called mad descends directly to What the Butler Saw, Joe Orton’s 1960s Black Farce. And then, there are those absurdly-named princes.
Played on a revolving stage, its compartments divided by tall grills suggesting these characters live in both a gorgeous palace and a prison, there’s plenty of background decadence, contrasted by the honest monochrome poverty of Vindice’s home. Director Melly Still plays up the comedy. Rory Kinnear is a lively Vindice, but there’s a sense of the effortful in many performances as in the production overall, a sense of stretch that works against both the comedy and horror – the sort of thing we’d never do with Pinter, who matches the two strands in his own way. And no performance has the ease and authority to make this a distinctive revival.
Vindice: Rory Kinnear.
Hippolito: Jamie Parker.
Gratiana: Barbara Flynn.
Castiza: Katherine Manners.
Duke: Ken Bones.
Duchess: Adjoa Andoh.
Lussurioso: Elliot Cowan.
Spurio: Billy Carter.
Ambitioso: Tom Andrews.
Supervacuo: John Heffernan.
Younger Son: Tommy Luther.
Antonio: Simon Nagra.
Whore/Gloriana: Donatella Martina Cabras.
Gentleman/Officer: Conor Doyle.
Piero/Gentleman/Officer: Peter Hinton.
Judge/Keeper/Spurio’s Man: Derek Howard.
Judge/Nobleman/Officer: Pieter Lawman.
Nencio: Jane Leaney.
Sordido: Robert McNeill.
Lady-in-Waiting: Pamela Merrick.
Lord/Guard: Rick Nodine.
Lord/Officer/Spurio’s Man: Richard Shanks.
Nobleman/Guard: Ross Waiton.
Lady Antonio: Lizzie Winkler.
Director: Melly Still.
Designers: Ti Green, Melly Still.
Lighting: Paul Anderson
Sound: Paul Arditti.
Music: Adrian Sutton, Differentgear,
Puppetry: Mitchell Moreno.
Movement: Rick Nodine.
Company voice work: Jeannette Nelson.
Fight director: Paul Benzing.
2008-08-19 12:54:14