Attracting audiences to sit through two-and-a-half hours of dense, rarely performed Elizabethan tragedy is pretty hard work even without the current balmy weather. This year’s JMK Award winner Michael Oakley doesn’t go out of his way to make matters any easier. The tone here is heavy seriousness, much of it played in near-blackout to underline just how serious it is.
The keynote of this production appears to be high textual fidelity. In modern dress. Functional, minimalist characterisations are shorn of tics, mannerisms, or indeed anything faintly resembling personalities. Instead, Oakley relies on the way his cast looks – a more photogenic group is hard to imagine – and on them speaking their lines loudly with impeccable diction.
None of this is helped by Mark Friend’s bleached grey set. Rarely has a design sapped energy so completely from a production. The audience is pushed back in three tight rows against the long wall of BAC’s Studio 1, while a flat false wall has been fitted opposite. With a similarly flat stage, the lack of depth or levels to the production make it feel like the actors are battling constantly against their claustrophobic setting. Marlowe’s play is no picnic either. Short, choppy scenes and a bewildering number of plot U-turns in the first hour, coupled with a startling lack of sympathetic characters make for pretty heavy going. In his favour, Oakley does have a gift for clarity, but needs to translate it into achieving less rigid performances.
What a relief from the underwhemling productions at the National Oliver theatre. Lets just hope director Michael Oakley is tempted by bigger spaces and concentrates on moving intimate shows like Edward II. Great acting, though admittedly does get a little shouty-shouty in the second half, mixes well with a sexy langour from Edward and Isabella in particular. Gaveston is not entirely convincing but the same actor plays Edward's executioneer with a crisp cold allure. If he wasn't there to kill Edward, it's crystal clear what he's really after....
This is a great production with a brilliantly costumed and superb ensemble cast! Text was lyrically and beautifully pointed and a joy to listen to, making Marlowe`s heavy storyline easy to follow. My only criticism was the set which, apart from its doors, left the actors nowhere to go on stage .... Very hot, but if you wear your coolest clothes, take in some cold water and sit very still it`s quite `do-able` - and so, so worth it! This wrinklie thought it worth every penny of her train fare from Northamptonshire and, if you can still get a ticket for the final week - GO, GO, GO!!!!
5 comments
What a relief from the underwhemling productions at the National Oliver theatre. Lets just hope director Michael Oakley is tempted by bigger spaces and concentrates on moving intimate shows like Edward II. Great acting, though admittedly does get a little shouty-shouty in the second half, mixes well with a sexy langour from Edward and Isabella in particular. Gaveston is not entirely convincing but the same actor plays Edward's executioneer with a crisp cold allure. If he wasn't there to kill Edward, it's crystal clear what he's really after....
I saw this and thought it was terrific, the plot, the clothes, the production it was all great!!!!!
This is a great production with a brilliantly costumed and superb ensemble cast! Text was lyrically and beautifully pointed and a joy to listen to, making Marlowe`s heavy storyline easy to follow. My only criticism was the set which, apart from its doors, left the actors nowhere to go on stage .... Very hot, but if you wear your coolest clothes, take in some cold water and sit very still it`s quite `do-able` - and so, so worth it! This wrinklie thought it worth every penny of her train fare from Northamptonshire and, if you can still get a ticket for the final week - GO, GO, GO!!!!
Saw this, thought it was terrible. Has the director heard of the words subtlety or subtext?
This show is brilliant - get a ticket while you can ; tiny theatre, great acting