|
|
|
|
|
Letting laughter out of the bottle
A Mad World My Masters
Wolverhampton Grand
***** THERE are those that believe that the
great works should not be tampered with and that after centuries of
intellectual analysis, diluting every word of text into a question for a
sixth form examination paper, they would prefer to keep it all in a
bottle of brine to be politely applauded from a distance. Thankfully there are others like Sean Foley and
Phil Porter who understand that theatre is for the stage and not the
museum and whilst there should be respect for the original they are
making entertainment. Such is the case with the RSC and ETT who have
skilfully plundered the core of Thomas Middleton’s Jacobean romp, A
Mad World My Masters, and have made what Middleton would have done
himself, a comedy for the audience of his day. Foley’s directing takes this story of infidelity,
sex and greed in London of 1605 and by placing it into a modernist 1950s
era accesses a whole range of comedic possibilities that Middleton I
feel sure would have revelled in and approved of. It all starts in a sleazy smokey jazz club back
in the 1950s. There’s a live band fronted by the brilliant soul vocals
of Linda John-Pierre who collectively punctuate the entire play.
John-Pierre adds a rich depth to the otherwise pleasant solo vocals of
the other cast member during songs that are featured at timely points
through the production. After a fight closes the club one night, Dick
Follywit hatches a plan with his two companions Oboe and Sponger, to rob
his rich uncle Sir Bounteous Peersucker using a variety of disguises.
Peersucker keeps a mistress Truly Kidman who is also the coach and
enabler of the wife of a one Mr Littledick aiding her to engage in her
sexual affair with a man called Penitent Brothel. Joe bannister as Dick Follywit excels in his
Dennis Herman as Penitent Brothel was equally
entertaining as a man of the cloth drawn into sexual deviance. He finds
his salvation only when the spirit of his lover Mrs Littledick appears
to him in black lingerie a scene that was both very funny and sexy at
the same time.
Ellie Beaven is Mrs Littledick and her
transformation from 50’s housewife into vamp is glorious, creating one
of the funniest moments of the play with her Shadow sex with
Penitent Brothel. Sarah Ridgeway played Truly Kidman and although
diminutive in size commanded every aspect of the scheming prostitute
intent on fleecing men on their cash. Adding a mature RSC tone to the frivolity was Ian
Redford as Sir Bounteous Peersucker with excellent performances too from
Ben Deery as Mr Littledick and Lee Mengo and Michael Moreland as the
hapless Oboe and Sponger. With its clever staging, live music and quality
of acting the production fuses so many of our popular and much
loved comedy favourites so brilliantly, that even the stiffest
scholarly upper lip, tutting over the edited text, cannot fail to
laugh out loud. Its Pythonesque, The Two Ronnie’s, Morecambe and
Wise and ‘Allo ‘Allo with more than touch of St Trinians and the Carry
Ons, and with Middleton’s biting sarcasm throughout the result is some
of the most entertaining, well-crafted pieces of theatre that you will
seeTo 28-02-15 Jeff Grant
26-02-15
|
|
|
|
role,
reminding me of a young Peter 0‘Toole elegantly extracting every inch of
comedy from his lines even when transformed via drag into a woman. The
latter drew a few comments about his stocking legs from the audience,
which he interacted with gaining a few more laughs.