I have something of an odd relationship with the works of Tom Stoppard. I love reading Stoppard, and definitely belong to the camp which calls the man a genius, but at the same time I find watching his works less enjoyable, perhaps because I can read one of his plays (barring epics like The Coast of Utopia) in around an hour and a half or less but they always seem to take far, far too long to actually perform. Arcadia, considered by many to be Stoppard’s great masterpiece, falls squarely into this category, but it is also - and perhaps for the first time - quite likely that I feel this way strictly based on my seat assignment.
Yes, assignment. I should get it out of the way here that I didn’t pay for my ticket to Arcadia, and as such didn’t get to choose where I sat as tends to be part of the bargain. Anybody associated with the box office or producing the show will know where I got Upper Circle A1 from, and they will also know that the seat should be taken out of the theatre and never be sold to begin with. Why? You can’t actually see the stage. Oh sure you can see the very back of the stage in an arching sliver from about 2/3 of stage left to its corner, but virtually none of the action takes place there. Even engaging in the rather rude act of leaning with all your might provides at most half a stage worth of view. Yes, the tickets are marked restricted, and no, I didn’t pay for them, but other people seeking a bargain will only to leave in frustration.
My advice to those people? Take the benches in the back. You’ll have a clear view of everything you need, just smuggle a cushion into your bag when you go to the theatre.
But anyways. Not being able to see the show proved quite the distraction as RADA types speaking RP tend to sound the same and you get the effect of listening to an indistinct radio play from the experience. Sure the occasional moment of brilliance still smacks you with the hammer of literary light, but the rest of the play seemed a world away from me, the audience member, to the point where I debated bolting at the interval. Fortunately I didn’t bolt, as my cramped quarters did allow me one distinct advantage: being able to see where there were potentially better empty seats in the lower circle for the second half. And sure enough, despite a dirty look from an usher, I moved myself down to Dress Circle C24 and could see virtually everything except one of the entrances.
The benefit of being able to visually follow the story helped immensely,and I found the second half far more engaging, but the damage was already done: I still couldn’t actually get into the story well enough to really take it all in.
And, as I’ve written almost a page of A4, I guess I should explain what the story is: an associate of Lord Byron’s is tutor to the daughter of the house, a genius of a 16 year old who works out the dissipating nature of thermodynamic transfers far before her time. Meanwhile her tutor is subject to scandal for sleeping with a few local wives, Byron is implicated, and the whole scandal feeds into the second of Stoppard’s formulaic intertwinings (combining periods and realities is to Stoppard what the escalation of brutality is to McDonagh) about warring professors looking at the decline of enlightenment against the romantic era, tracking the grouse population, and working out Byron’s role in the scandal. It’s directed by David Leveaux, known to Americans for both his prior Stoppards as well as the 2004 revival of Fiddler on the Roof. The cast, including Stoppard’s son Ed, are fine, it’s all very RP and proper, but the acting didn’t reach the cheap seats.
A pity, really. Arcadia *is* a good play (though both acts could lose 10-15 minutes as the entire thing clocks in at 2 hr 50 including interval) but I suspect I’m in the minority in saying that I was bored by the end of each half and quite happy to get some air afterwards.
Where: Duke of York’s
When: Until 12 September, M-W, Fr/Sa @ 19:30, Th @ 19:00, W/Sa @ 14:30
How Much: £15-£49.50
Concessions: Probably.
-----------------
RZ Unofficial “Worth Paying”: N/A. Can’t honestly judge.
RZ Other Notes: Is it me or is the new Ambassador website absolutely hideous for anybody trying to get, you know, useful information without having to do three times as much work as on the previous site? Heaven help those trying to book for touring productions.
Showing posts with label Long. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Long. Show all posts
Monday, 1 June 2009
Monday, 12 May 2008
REVIEW: "King Lear"
“I was young and foolish then.
I feel old and foolish now.”
--They Might Be Giants
Springtime in England means pleasantly warm, breezy days, cricket matches, and for the artistic, a new season at Shakespeare’s Globe. Part legit theatre with a focus on both new writing and the classics, part tourist attraction, and part educational outreach, the Globe has faced its fair share of controversy from the artistic press in the past.
That said, the only controversy surrounding this year’s season opener, King Lear, is the Globe’s choice to promote it as “Shakespeare’s Greatest Tragedy.” Is it because Hamlet or Macbeth are greater?
No.
It’s because the Globe’s Lear is pretty damn funny. Lines are played to the maximum comedic effect (gaining a response from the audience), undermining the tragic path of the title character and those surrounding him. Despite the high body count, it’s easier to laugh at the lines about the difficulties of marriage and Edmund’s dilemma of engaging Goneril and Regan at the same time than to get through the detached veneer director (and artistic director) Dominic Dromgoole has hidden the text behind. The RZ wonders if he would have cared or felt anything when Lear loses Cordelia if the aforementioned tonal issues, well, weren’t. Had the comedy been cut back after the interval, the shift would have gone a long way towards reminding the audience that this isn’t a happy play, even if the characters (including the dead) get up and dance during the curtain call. Instead, the whole thing plays out as a nasty episode of Footballer’s Wives.
Combine this with Trystan Gravelle (Edgar) and Daniel Hawksford (Edmond) blowing through no less than seven accents each, one can easily see what the RZ thinks of how this production was staged. As it stands, he’s still not sure if Gloucester’s sons are Welsh, Scottish, or even from Gloucester. All he knew was that Edmond must be the villain as he had the most attractive costume (as villains are wont to do - evil comes with style.)
David Calder is a cuddly Lear, though he mumbles his way through the first act and was overpowered by a chorus of drums and rain sticks during the storm scene. Joseph Mydell is far more regal is Gloucester, and Paul Copley is a wonderfully crotchety Kent. The RZ suspects, however, that Pamela Hay got lost on her way to Lord of the Rings, as she stands above the action moaning and wailing out ballads in Middle English like a cat whose tail is being slowly cut open.
This isn’t to say that this Lear doesn’t feature some successful moments, as it does, but the Globe’s production is by no means the tear-jerker that it claims to be.
Where: Shakespeare’s Globe
When: In repertoire until 17 August. Performances at 14:00 and 19:30, check the website for booking days and details.
How Much: £5-£33
Concessions: None.
----------------------------
RZ Unofficial “Worth Paying”: £5. The RZ is not a Shakespeare fan and got more entertainment out of watching planes fly by, monitoring the audience, and enjoying a spring evening outside than from the actual play.
RZ Other Notes: Standing in the yard at the Globe is fun, and it’s easy to bring in your own snacks/drinks. Patrons should definitely bring water, especially on warm and humid days. Patrons in the yard can come and go as they please to use the loo, get drinks, sit on the benches overlooking the Thames, etc. The full runtime is 185 min. including the interval after act three. While the RZ isn’t enamoured by the play, he found the first half mostly interesting, though found himself bored quickly by acts four and five. Anybody who says Shakespeare doesn’t need a dramaturge is lying.
I feel old and foolish now.”
--They Might Be Giants
Springtime in England means pleasantly warm, breezy days, cricket matches, and for the artistic, a new season at Shakespeare’s Globe. Part legit theatre with a focus on both new writing and the classics, part tourist attraction, and part educational outreach, the Globe has faced its fair share of controversy from the artistic press in the past.
That said, the only controversy surrounding this year’s season opener, King Lear, is the Globe’s choice to promote it as “Shakespeare’s Greatest Tragedy.” Is it because Hamlet or Macbeth are greater?
No.
It’s because the Globe’s Lear is pretty damn funny. Lines are played to the maximum comedic effect (gaining a response from the audience), undermining the tragic path of the title character and those surrounding him. Despite the high body count, it’s easier to laugh at the lines about the difficulties of marriage and Edmund’s dilemma of engaging Goneril and Regan at the same time than to get through the detached veneer director (and artistic director) Dominic Dromgoole has hidden the text behind. The RZ wonders if he would have cared or felt anything when Lear loses Cordelia if the aforementioned tonal issues, well, weren’t. Had the comedy been cut back after the interval, the shift would have gone a long way towards reminding the audience that this isn’t a happy play, even if the characters (including the dead) get up and dance during the curtain call. Instead, the whole thing plays out as a nasty episode of Footballer’s Wives.
Combine this with Trystan Gravelle (Edgar) and Daniel Hawksford (Edmond) blowing through no less than seven accents each, one can easily see what the RZ thinks of how this production was staged. As it stands, he’s still not sure if Gloucester’s sons are Welsh, Scottish, or even from Gloucester. All he knew was that Edmond must be the villain as he had the most attractive costume (as villains are wont to do - evil comes with style.)
David Calder is a cuddly Lear, though he mumbles his way through the first act and was overpowered by a chorus of drums and rain sticks during the storm scene. Joseph Mydell is far more regal is Gloucester, and Paul Copley is a wonderfully crotchety Kent. The RZ suspects, however, that Pamela Hay got lost on her way to Lord of the Rings, as she stands above the action moaning and wailing out ballads in Middle English like a cat whose tail is being slowly cut open.
This isn’t to say that this Lear doesn’t feature some successful moments, as it does, but the Globe’s production is by no means the tear-jerker that it claims to be.
Where: Shakespeare’s Globe
When: In repertoire until 17 August. Performances at 14:00 and 19:30, check the website for booking days and details.
How Much: £5-£33
Concessions: None.
----------------------------
RZ Unofficial “Worth Paying”: £5. The RZ is not a Shakespeare fan and got more entertainment out of watching planes fly by, monitoring the audience, and enjoying a spring evening outside than from the actual play.
RZ Other Notes: Standing in the yard at the Globe is fun, and it’s easy to bring in your own snacks/drinks. Patrons should definitely bring water, especially on warm and humid days. Patrons in the yard can come and go as they please to use the loo, get drinks, sit on the benches overlooking the Thames, etc. The full runtime is 185 min. including the interval after act three. While the RZ isn’t enamoured by the play, he found the first half mostly interesting, though found himself bored quickly by acts four and five. Anybody who says Shakespeare doesn’t need a dramaturge is lying.
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