THREE MUSKETEERS till 20 January.
THE THREE MUSKETEERS: Dumas, version by Ken Ludwig
Bristol Old Vic until 20 Jan 2007
Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Review: Stewart McGill, 13 December 2006
It’s going to be a great hit
A buoyant Simon Reade held a busy press conference prior to the premiere of Ken Ludwig’s offbeat new version of Dumas The Three Musketeers. The Artistic Director spoke of the house in historic King Street being a place where – despite the nagging of Arts Council or the ‘politically correct’ suits – classic drama will continue at the core of the repertoire alongside experimental, outreach and the thriving youth theatre. A new year packed with riches is planned, giving Bristol audiences a rather rare opportunity to engage with past and contemporary classical work often in newly commissioned translation.
On the horizon, a Frank McGuinness adaptation of Ibsen’s Ghost’s, Geraldine McCroughan’s epic Not The End of The World and a Ranjit Bolt Cyrano de Bergerac featuring the company’s new Artistic Associate Robert Bowman. It’s great to see an enthusiastic Artistic Director proud and relishing his season’s riches.
So what of Bristol’s Christmas show… it’s going to be a very popular hit, in my opinion. Timothy Sheader directs a telling of The Three Musketeers that really has a beautiful filmic style and an uproarious sense of comedy. Inspired by the swashbuckling 1940’s Hollywood movies the ensemble cast swiftly and boldly go for thrilling adventure. There is frivolity and laughter to the fore in Ludwig’s newly penned ‘take’ on the classic bringing the unlikely heroes the story to the fore with beautiful panache and comic book technique. Laura Hopkins designs in a box of tricks where staircases, archways, tables and chairs emerge without halting proceedings taking the piece at a blade cutting pace. The costumes are simply superb – Hollywood inspired, rather over the top, colourful and dazzling.
The cast list below can serve as a role of honour as everyone in this team is on top form, if I mention Paul Agar, Vyelle Croom, Gerald Kyd and Geroge Rainsford heading up as the musketeers and D’artagnan and Laura Rogers as the newly created Sister of ‘D’arty’ Sabine… it’s because they keep us alongside their whirlwind adventure.
It’s not a deeply emotional or thought provoking show – seasonally involving a reluctant ‘pantomime’ horse and some positively corny gags it is in the realm of pantomime maybe a little too often but one or two moments of reflection and loss are worthy of a cinematic tear in the eye.
Hero of the event is Richard Ryan whose fight choreography is breathtaking… through the eyes of a child it will be sensational, to the adult a nostalgic memory of days when the sword was the weapon of choice and honour the code to obey. Everyone will enjoy time spent in the company of The Three Musketeers and, once again, Bristol Old Vic breathe life into a classic we thought we knew… “all for one, one for all.” Fantastic!
Paul Agar: Porthos
Julien Ball: King Louis
Paul Benzig: Rochefort
Vyelle Croom: Aramis
Fiona Dunn: Queen Anne
Gerald Kyd: Athos
George Rainsford: D’artagnan
Samantha Robinson: Sabine
Laura Rogers: Milady
Robin Sebastian: Cardinal Richelieu
Charity Wakefield: Constance
Marcello Walton: Treville.
Ken Ludwig: Writer
Timothy Sheader: Director
Laura Hopkins: Designer
Richard Ryan: Fight Director
Bruno Poet: Lighting Designer
Corin Buckeridge: Composer
Jason Barnes: Sound
2006-12-13 09:10:32