Drama
Earlsfield, SW18, where Louis de Bernieres spent ten years, is a melting pot of society, a mixture of old and young, new and old residents and cultures, and as such became the centre of his world. The language of de Bernieres' script, originally intended for radio, rolls between simple statement, fond lyricism and snatches of overheard conversation - a patchwork of styles and voices. This is really difficult to deliver, but the cast can hit the mark well. The staging is lively and there are some clever touches, as well as the usual physical schtick. The sock puppets that represent the dead lying beneath Earlsfield are comical, as are the beaks of the passive-aggressive London pigeons.
Rather like in Freshers' week, everyone in Earlsfield has a single adjective: Posh Katy, Dotty Irene, Ancient Annie. Jane Welsh was touching when narrating for 'Ancient Annie', who could have easily been an annoying caricature. The point with Bernieres' play is to show that these people aren't just quaint; 'Posh' or 'Dotty' but a bit more, and through laughing at them we can laugh at ourselves. This cast are not laughing at themselves, but at funny Saaaf London people, and although amusing it can be uncomfortable. That said, what they lack in subtlety they make up for in enthusiasm, and their presence is always vibrant and funny. They romp through the landscape of South London, the fun the actors are having is infectious, and I'd be really happy to spend an hour in the BT enjoying it with them. Sunday Morning at the Centre of the World is quick, it's fresh, it's funny, and it's only a little bit pretentious. Definitely worth seeing.
Instead of opting for the usual light comedies favoured for garden shows, the Oriel team have bravely launched themselves head on into one of Shakespeare's most powerful tragedies; the result has mixed success.
The director, Louise Dumican, wants to strip her production of anything that could distract from the deep emotions in the play and has opted for a simple set and costumes. Unfortunately many of the actors are not capable of extracting the emotional potential of Shakespeare's play that Dumican is so eager to bring out. Rahul Rao makes a very serious Othello. This is an effective way of playing the Moor in the first part of the play but once Iago begins to work his magic Rao fails to make the vital change in Othello's demeanour. Instead of howling with jealousy he remains as cool and rational as he was in the opening scenes. Rao's failure to transform from a noble soldier into an insane beast throws doubt on the whole logic of Shakespeare's plot. Richard Power captures Iago's social ineptitude effectively and his facial expressions are very good, however paired with Rao's icy Moor, Power seems the more passionate of the two, failing to demonstrate Iago's absolute control over events.
Too much is left up to the actors in Dumican's production and they make some mistakes in the way they play their parts with grave implications for the significance of the play. However, top marks to Oriel for tackling such a powerful and emotionally draining play, even with some faults of interpretation; listening to Shakespeare's superb verse is still a chilling and moving experience.
Dogg's Hamlet has school-kids performing a condensed version of Shakespeare's Hamlet, hanging the play around only its most famous quotes. Hilarity ensues but not without its fair share of philosophy. Because, you see, the school children don't speak English. They speak Dogg, a language where English words mean different things. For the Dogg children, "to be or not to be" is nothing but a foreign chant. Play number two, Cahoot's Macbeth, is set in communist Czechoslovakia, where the state bans 'dangerous' plays. A private performance of Macbeth is visited by a state inspector and the actors must cover up the play. So they start to perform in Dogg.
The condensed Hamlet was fantastic. Alongside the slapstick comedy, it bred power from universally impressive performances. Cahoot's Macbeth was weaker, suffering from a muffled performance by the Inspector; the one thing guaranteed to sink the lightning script is bad delivery.
The director claims you don't need to know the Shakespeare to enjoy it, which, given Stoppard's gift with dialogue and the decent comic timing of the cast, may well be true. Hamlet's famous lines are famous for a reason and so they stand alone, the ultimate bon mots. I admit I got lost with Cahoot's Macbeth, but you'll have more time, and it's a play that does need time. It'll make you laugh whether you understand it or not - Stoppard has that knack of universal watchability. Go along and leave your mind ajar. Something might fall in.
13th Jun 2002