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Rufus Hound as Sancho Panza and David Threlfall as Don Quixote. Don Quixote
The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
***** IN AN adventure filled comedy, thick with colourful scenes and larger than life characters, David Threlfall and
Rufus Hound shine in James Fenton’s adaptation of Miguel De Cervantes’
classic novel about the eccentric nobleman and his squire. The landmark Spanish novel was adapted
beautifully for the RSC Swan stage. Fenton did a marvellous job at
capturing the essence of a man who, in his old age, has an obsession
with chivalry and the world of knights within his imagination to the
point of delusion. David Threlfall imbues the complex and sincere
Don Quixote with impressive charm and shows us a lonely man whose
purpose is to help the world by showing them the right way to be
chivalrous. Watching Threlfall
perform, it is hard to remember that this is the same actor who played
Frank Gallagher in Tony Abbott’s
Shameless. He is a breath of fresh air
in the role, taking on the challenge and assureing the audience that we
are in safe hands.
What is a brave knight without a squire? In Don
Quixote’s eyes, a knight of his calibre must have a squire and this is
where Rufus Hound makes his mark. Dressed in an impressive fat suit,
Hound captures the part of Sancho Panza with an unforgettable quality.
He is incredibly funny from the get go, but what makes Hound’s
performance remarkable lies within his ability to add to the highly
emotionally charged scenes with fantastic accord, making the audience
react with sincere compassion. He includes the audience in his
performance as much as possible, and with Hound’s background of stand-up
comedy, this does not go amiss and adds another layer onto his cheeky
persona. Don Quixote is a comedy, but it becomes much more
because director Angus Jackson has made sure not to skim over the
sentimental scenes, giving them the weight and emotional quality they
deserve. The ending is particularly moving and it was easy to hear a few
sniffles coming from the audience. This shows just how strong Threlfall
and Hound are as a pair. Their individual performances are delightful to
watch, but together, they instil a new life into the story. Their performances are helped along wonderfully
with the work of the ensemble. This is very much a collaborative piece
and each member of the company adds to the comedic tale in equal
measure. They are committed to giving us pure entertainment and joy and
their enthusiasm for the production is clear to see. There is beautiful
choral singing and the music and songs by Fenton and Grant Olding set
the atmosphere of each scene. Puppetry is also a strong feature in this
production. The skills of the actors who work the puppets are impressive
vividly capturing the audience’s imagination. There are children, cats
and a huge roaring lion involved that added another awesome layer to the
show. As well as fantastic props, the set was equally
impressive. In a scene where Don Quixote is convinced that a set of
windmills are in fact giants, we see Threlfall literally fly up, getting
caught on the huge mill. Jackson’s take on the classic novel is a
brilliant piece of entertainment. What makes this production so
impressive is that he does not forget any detail. From the talent of the
actors to the colourful additions of set props and costumes, Jackson and
the cast highlight the comedic essence of the story and bring out the
charm of Don Quixote, leading to an experience of pure delight. To
21-05-16 Elizabeth Halpin 28-03-16
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