Privacy & Cookies

Moss Cottage uses cookies to track and improve site performance and enhance your experience.

By using our website, you consent to our use of cookies. To learn more about how we use cookies, read our Privacy Policy

Moss Cottage

Tel. 01789 294 770
Email. info@mosscottage.org
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Blog
    • Local Attractions
    • RSC Reviews
  • Breakfast
  • Rooms
  • Tariff
  • Gallery
  • Contact
  • Book Now

October 11, 2016 by billbruce 1 Comment

King Lear. Review by Peter Buckroyd.

King Lear

We have finally managed to get to see Greg Doran’s eagerly awaited production of King Lear starring Antony Sher. Sher is splendid at the beginning and the ending of the play. The middle I was less convinced by. Sher characterises Lear physically by slightly hunched shoulders, a slightly forward bent posture and by bear-like heaviness, matched by his animal fur costume. Vocally, though, there is a good deal of monotone. It is not entirely Sher’s fault that I could not warm to him mad on the heath. He is elevated on an unnecessary metal structure and surrounded by an unnecessary huge tarpaulin (which muffed its lines badly on the night we went necessitating a pause in the production while the tarpaulin was removed). The best of Sher was when he was relieved of this clutter. By the end we are able to understand his Lear. Lear ‘slenderly knows himself’. He reacts with gusto to the moment but he doesn’t link those moments together and so he is perceived by others as inconsistent while he is simply responding to whatever moment presents itself to him without joining them together and without thinking in a systematic way.
The best moment in the production is when Lear and the blind Gloucester are sitting talking on an otherwise bare stage. That brings me to the real star of this production: David Troughton as Gloucester. Every phase in Gloucester’s rich characterisation is portrayed with wonderful clarity, both physical and vocal. I didn’t watch the blinding, of course, which took place in another structure – a Perspex box – but I did listen. Troughton’s Gloucester is an efficient court servant, a deluded credulous father, a self-sacrificing prisoner, a dignified victim of torture, a blind creature of insight and a despairing tragic figure. The fall from the ‘cliff’ was breathtaking in its simplicity. It is a wonderful performance.
There are other excellent performances, too. Oliver Johnstone was equally powerful and effective as Edgar. Natalie Simpson was strong, practical and dignified as Cordelia, as clear and unfussy as you could ask for. Both James Clyde as Cornwall and Clarence Smith as Albany make the most of their thankless roles and Antony Byrne’s Kent is as powerful in disguise as he was before his disgrace. I have thought long and hard about Paapa Essiedu’s Edmund because I have to admit that while I was sitting in the theatre I could not grasp why he did so little. But then it dawned on me. Edmund is completely devoid of affect. He is a heartless, conscienceless, evil bastard who smiles and smiles and is a villain. Clever, I now think, and interesting because it makes Goneril and Regan even more stupid for being in love with him. And even cleverer when you realise that he just acts in and on the moment as Lear does.
As for design, I thought the high chair on which Lear appeared in Act I effective. I thought Act I, as well as being brilliantly cut, looked stunning in black and gold while Cordelia was in white and Lear draped in furs. The hand held barren trees and what became two planets were thematically effective. The dim lighting and the preponderance of shadows are completely in keeping with the play’s mood, and the tableau of Lear with the dead Cordelia echoing Michelangelo’s Pieta, created another layer of depth and meaning.
This is a production well worth seeing. It has all the hallmarks of Doran’s contrast between movement and stillness, his lovely stage pictures, his brilliant cutting, his control of pace, his eschewing of stagey ‘acting’, his creation of intense and understated emotional moments.
Come and see it and make it an enhanced treat with a night at Moss Cottage.

Filed Under: RSC Reviews Tagged With: Anthony Sher, King Lear, review, reviews, rsc, Rsc reviews, RSC | Theatre reviews | RSC reviews | Theatre |, shakespeare, Stratford upon Avon theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare

June 16, 2015 by billbruce Leave a Comment

Othello: A Review by Peter Buckroyd

One of things I so admired about Iqbal Khan’s production of Much Ado about Nothing at the Courtyard was his ability to make fundamental decisions which at one stroke get rid of some of the distracting features of a play which tend to dominate inappropriately in a discussion of the play, particularly in the A Level classroom. In Much Ado these were the racial casting and the brilliant setting at an upper class Indian extended family household.

Khan does the same with the Othello which has just opened at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, only this time there were even more decisions to clarify and interpret the play which took me by surprise. The play is set in a properly multi-racial society. Racism is one issue which can take up countless A Level hours. By making Iago black the simple possible white-black racism problems are thrown onto possible racism about a white Cassio and Brabantio’s possible racist response to the relationship between Othello and his daughter Desdemona. But Khan dispatches these quickly, too. Brabantio misjudges terribly. We believe Othello when he says he seduced Desdemona with his romantically told stories because he appears early on in the play to be charming, soft spoken and lyrical and we don’t believe Brabantio at all when he describes Desdemona because she is not like that at all. Cassio’s problem is that he can’t hold his drink; this is obvious in the party scene. It’s not that he is white.

More A Level hours are often spent discussing Iago’s motivation. Here it is simple and obvious: ‘I hate the Moor’. Why becomes immaterial in this production because Iago hates everyone: Othello, Cassio, Emelia, Roderigo – everyone he has dealings with. He has no affect; he uses everybody to create mayhem. To begin with I found Lucian Msmati’s lack of sibilants irritating until I realised that his speech fits into the pattern of using physical attributes to denote character. It is Iago who lacks sibilants, I decided, not Msmati, just as we see throughout that it is Emelia uncomfortably straight back rather than Ayesha Dharker. Physical traits as metaphors permeate the production.

The third A Level issue which I though Khan dealt brilliantly with was the change that appears to take place in Othello. Othello’s epileptic fit is a psychotic episode when he becomes sadistically and almost uncontrollably violent. There are two Othellos – one the charming and lyrical and the other violent and potentially bloodthirsty. It explains his reputation and also the denouement of the play. I vividly remember Hugh Quarshie’s lyricism in Two Noble Kinsman at The Other Place decades ago; it has not deserted him and was used to create some strikingly underplayed and effective moments here.

These were just some of the ways in which this splendidly intelligent production made me think again about the play and thinking again about a great work of art is what has driven me over the years to see multiple productions of apparently the same text.

The stage movements and stage pictures are splendid. The first half has lots of enjoyable set pieces, beginning with Iago and Roderigo on a gondola in a Venetian canal and culminating in a splendidly rowdy rap party in Cyprus to celebrate Othello’s marriage. Diane Alison-Mitchell’s movement complements Khan’s ideas throughout, physical distances always representing relationships. An example would be the space that Emelia (played by the stunningly beautiful Ayesha Dharker) has around her; she is alone and isolated in her marriage; she remains subservient to Desdemona, often lurking on the sidelines.

This very strong cast expresses interesting things about other characters; too. I have never seen a stronger Desdemona that Joanna Vanderham’s. No shrinking violet, she. Jacob Fortune-Lloyd’s oversexed Cassio is a delight to watch, expressing a wide range of emotions and moods physically as well as vocally and the initially ebullient Roderigo physically shrinks in James Corrigan’s body as the play proceeds. My only beef was not about the acting but the casting. I am now tired of female Dukes, Princes, Cardinals. Vigorously played as the character was by Nadia Albina, Khan was unable or unwilling to follow through the casting decision into an idea. I thought this by now mannerism of the RSC was silly and detracted from the otherwise highly intelligent treatment of the text.

There is a mass of carefully thought through detail to admire. The whole play is framed by a neo-stone arched entrance upstage which is clearly crumbling with a crack down the middle at the top. The symbolic rose window is already broken and also crumbling. Army costumes create a military background to the whole play. Othello’s use and taking off spectacles while he is being duped by Iago is a beautifully handled extended metaphor as is the metaphorical fruitless search for an Internet signal in the same scene. Â The ordinary is transformed into the extraordinary by the use of DIY tools, representing Iago, perhaps, Constantly changing shadows create just the right atmosphere in Ciaran Bagnall’s lighting plot. It is no surprise to discover from the programme that the set and lighting were designed by the same person. The only thing I didn’t really get was the mixture between army costumes, contemporary suits, decorated modern costumes and star trek outfits. Was Fotini Dimou’s costume concept about the past, the present and the future? I didn’t quite get it but I will think about it when I return to see the production again.

I need to say that not everyone I have talked to likes this production. Some thought it dull; others thought it flat. I don’t agree. But then some people don’t like the stylistically very different The Merchant of Venice (with many of the same cast) either. I think they are both must-see productions. But interpret the plays afresh. That’s what I want from theatre. Why not come and try to see them both, enjoying a comfortable night or two at Moss Cottage where you will find a warm welcome?

 

Filed Under: RSC Reviews Tagged With: Othello review, Othello stratford upon Avon, review, reviews, rsc, Rsc reviews, shakespeare, Stratford upon Avon theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, theatre, William Shakespeare

May 17, 2015 by billbruce Leave a Comment

The Merchant of Venice

If you haven’t yet booked for Polly Findlay’s new RST production of The Merchant of Venice then you should do. If justice is to be done it will be a complete sell out as soon as the press reviews come out.  It won’t be to everyone’s taste. Indeed there were some ’eminent Shakespearean scholars’  there tonight who said they didn’t like it. There isn’t a doublet and hose to be seen. The whole acting space isn’t  used because there is a mirrored backdrop between the proscenium arches.  Everything you see is on the thrust. The stage floor is also mirrored.  There is a lot of interaction between characters and members of the audience. Launcelot Gobbo positions himself in a seat in the stalls. The audience is therefore part of what is going on.  None of this, of course, is to everyone’s taste.

The same brilliantly shaped intelligence which characterised her production of Arden of Faversham in the Swan is in evidence here, not least in her collaboration with  the German designer Johannes Schultz and German composer Marc Tritschler whose atmospheric and vocal music brilliantly creates atmosphere for the play without ever obscuring or drowning the text. It is the restraint of this work which makes the effect so powerful. Much of the blocking is quite still. There are some exciting and vigorous moments but Polly’s Findlay’s intention (according Marc Tritschler’s article in the programme) was to emphasise the play’s ‘underlying threads of sadness and suffering’.

Most of The Merchant of Venice is in iambic pentametre. We know that. We also know that iambic pentametre is a natural speech rhythm. When you hear Ken Kwosu delivering it (he plays both Gratiano and Morocco), as brilliantly as you will hear,  you can understand why. But not only him. I appreciated the enormous amount of work which must have gone on to make everything everyone says appear like speech despite the verse conventions with which we are now largely unfamiliar. And yet, in the play’s most lyrical section in Belmont in the ‘This is the night’ passage ( all too often the point when you wonder how long it is to the next drink  or how long it will be to the end)  with Lorenzo and Jessica was beautiful,  riveting and very moving, a creation of the timeless moment of a new order when whether you were a Jew or a Christian didn’t matter. The cutting is very deft, too. Only the bits which a modern audience could not hope to understand were cut, with the result that the play is easy to follow and the action clear and swift.

One of the surprises is the portrayal of Antonio played by Jamie Ballard. He stands centre stage as the audience members enter the auditorium, restlessly brooding: a picture of displeased melancholy. The announcement of Bassanio’s entry comes immediately after Solanio’s accusation that Antonio must be in love and so the kiss between Bassanio and Antonio comes as no surprise, only its length and depth. We can see how Antonio might well be physically attracted to Bassanio, played extremely well by Jacob Fortune-Lloyd; it is harder to see why Bassanio fancies Antonio. Might it be his wealth because Bassanio tells us that this is why he is attracted to the ‘lady richly left’ in Belmont? The more we see of Antonio the less attractive he is. He is brooding, overly introverted and we believe everything Shylock says about Antonio’s treatment of him because we see Antonio’s hatred of usury, Jews and Shylock in particular. We are shocked at the Christian-gang-mentality of spitting at Shylock. Most of Antonio’s reactions throughout the play stem from his seething hatred and this helps to explain his besottedness with Bassanio. He encourages him to go to Belmont because if he discourages him he will lose him. Antonio’s fearful insecurities are also splendidly shown as he is strapped to the chair while Shylock prepares to take his pound of flesh. There are a few moments when we have a little sympathy for Antonio but we never like him.

Of course this portrayal of Antonio makes Shylock more sympathetic. His ‘sufferance’ contrasts favourably with Antonio’s bad temper and Makram J. Khoury’s brilliant underplaying of the character makes him real and believable. We, too, might want revenge had we been treated as Shylock is treated. Indeed almost the whole cast make the characters modern and believable and even when they don’t the way they are played is rooted in textual detail. Polly Findlay has an extraordinary knack of getting her actors to build character from the words they use so that previously unnoticed phrases in the text take on meaning.

I usually want to fast forward the casket scenes but in this production Ken Kwosu as Morocco and Brian Protheroe as Aragon are fully realised characters, not the usual cartoon versions. As well as being very easy on the eye James Corrigan’s Lorenzo is also believable and Scarlett Brookes is strong enough as Jessica to make us understand that in the modern world Jewish-Christian antagonisms are anachronistic and irrelevant. I enjoyed Patsy Ferran’s physically active and expressive performance as Portia although (as in almost every other production I have seen of this play) I didn’t really get how the charmingly naive young lady in Belmont could carry off the Balthazar trick. Clown-faced Launcelot Gobbo was given a few lines not written by Shakespeare but these were delightfully delivered by Tim Samuels  and in keeping with his characterisation. Look out for aural and visual surprises. It will be fascinating to see him play Shylock in the public understudy performance.

I thought this production was deeply rooted in textual interpretation and loved it for this reason. I liked the constant ticking of the pendulum, slower after the interval, and I admired the conceptual use of the mirrored floor and backdrop, complemented by direct address to and use of audience members, Â although I wasn’t convinced at a first viewing that the concept was particularly deep; the audience share the dilemmas of right, wrong, justice, hatred etc and we are reflected in the fabric of the play. What delighted me most, however, was the sudden awareness that something unexpected came from the words in the text. This happened many times during the evening, not least at the end when the ‘blessed candles of the night’ become literal.

This production is a million miles away from the RSC’s almost equally enjoyable last showing of The Merchant of Venice set in Las Vegas. It is edgy, modern and a visual and aural delight, full of inventiveness and an emotional roller-coaster. See it. I shall certainly see it again and it bodes well for Othello which opens next month with largely the same cast.

Filed Under: RSC Reviews Tagged With: rsc, rsc review, shakespeare, Stratford upon Avon theatre, The Merchant of Venice, theatre, William Shakespeare

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Blog
    • Local Attractions
    • RSC Reviews
  • Breakfast
  • Rooms
  • Tariff
  • Gallery
  • Contact
  • Book Now

About Moss Cottage

Moss Cottage is a charming 1930s detached house located just a 15 minute walk from the very heart of Stratford-upon-Avon … More...

Our Latest Posts

Orchestra of the Swan, review from May 29th concert. Sonnets.

A little about Moss Cottage

Welcome to our new blog

We’re Rated on Tripadvisor!

Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence

  • TripAdvisor

 

Tripadvisor Reviews

  • TripAdvisor

Contact Us

Moss Cottage Bed & Breakfast
61 Evesham Road
Stratford upon Avon
Warwickshire
CV37 9BA

Tel:  01789 294 770
Email:  info@mosscottage.org

Reviews from the RSC

Rsc review. The Whip.

King John. Review by Dr Peter Buckroyd.

A museum in Baghdad. Review by Dr Peter Buckroyd.

The boy in the dress. Review by Dr Peter Buckroyd.

King Lear, The Attic Theatre, Review by Peter Buckroyd.

copyright © 2015 Moss Cottage | website by studio595