The Merry Wives Of Windsor - Review

Barbican Centre, London


****


Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Fiona Laird

Karen Fishwick

The Barbican Centre concludes its RSC’s Autumn/Winter season with a playful production of The Merry Wives of Windsor, a lesser-known but undoubtedly hilarious comedy featuring the lecherous and legendary John Falstaff. After the tragedies of Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet earlier in the season, this play is a welcome respite from the seriousness of the times, choosing fun and farce over politics.

Returning to the RSC and the Barbican after his triumph in Titus Andronicus last year is David Troughton as the drunken and self-proclaimed womanizer, Falstaff, his caricaturesque performance mirroring the cartoony nature of the plot, characters, script and direction. So it goes, Falstaff is short on cash but living it large in Windsor and has no intentions of slowing down. The comedy of errors (not that one) begins as he devises a plan to woo two wives who seem to have control over their husband’s purses: Mistress Ford (Beth Cordingly) and Mistress Page (Rebecca Lacey). When his identical love letters are discovered by the wives and his sacked servants spill the beans to their husbands, a tidal wave of wonderful and witty nonsense transpires as the wives trick Falstaff into hiding in bins and dresses to escape discovery. 

Alongside this mayhem a Frenchman, Welshman and Englishman all vie for the attention of the lovely Anne Page (Karen Fishwick). Jonathan Cullen is the Gallic Dr Caius, ever hilarious as he embraces the stereotype, complete with teeny moustache. Sir Hugh Evans (Welsh) is played by David Acton who coaxes his character’s plentiful countrymen in the audience to sing Bread of Heaven, while from England comes Fenton, played with bumbling glee by Luke Newberry  who Anne happens to adore, warts (oh giant wart) and all. This threesome, with support from Tom Padley’s bucktoothed Slender and Tim Samuels’ closeted Shallow, add merriment to the mayhem as this ensemble juxtapose the Only Way is Essex with Shakespeare... in a good way.

Lez Brotherston’s costumes are just terrific, perfectly mismatched in keeping with the juxtaposition. With neck ruffles meeting tailored suits, Tudor breeches meeting hairy chests, bodices meeting chainlink leggings and bosoms meeting... bosoms. Some things never go out of fashion. 

This isn’t high brow, and certainly not politically correct, but neither was Shakespeare! Go, enjoy and revel in the eccentric ridiculousness of it all.

Runs until 5th January 2019

Reviewed by Heather Deacon

Photo by Manuel Harlan (c) RSC

Romeo and Juliet - Review

Barbican Centre, London



****


Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Erica Whyman

Karen Fishwick and Bally Gill

Romeo and Juliet arrives at the Barbican as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s London residency. Directed by Erica Whyman, Shakespeare’s classic story of love and rivalry is given a contemporary makeover that results in an energetic and urgent adaptation.

Although written over four centuries ago, this production feels chillingly relevant, with members of rival families brandish knives and fight on the streets, the bloody consequences of gang warfare brutally highlighted. The tale of the warring Montagues and Capulets is set in Verona, but it is easy to translate this culture to Sadiq Khan’s contemporary London. And yet, despite the tragedy, there proves a surprising amount of comedy interwoven within the drama and heartbreak that makes for an engaging evening.  

The production’s highlight is the host of standout performances drawn from a talented and diverse cast. Whyman elects to have the Prince of Verona and Mercutio played by women (Beth Cordingly and Charlotte Josephine respectively) and for the most part this works. Though a little over-exaggerated at times, Josephine puts in a fine performance as the spirited Mercutio, who is just as tough and brash as any of the boys and, tragically isn’t afraid to back down from a challenge. 

Elsewhere Andrew French provides a calming presence as Friar Laurence, keen to help the teenage couple but unwittingly setting in motion a wave of calamitous events. Ishia Bennison threatens to steal each scene she’s in as the cheeky, no-nonsense Nurse, a mother figure for Juliet, and at times it feels as if she wouldn’t be out of place in a Victoria Wood sketch, providing most of the comic relief. 

At the heart of the play of course are the star-crossed lovers, played by Bally Gill and Karen Fishwick, exuding chemistry. Gill shines as the lovesick Romeo, trying to keep the peace with his new wife’s family at first, then quick to turn with a dark, underlying temper. Fishwick’s Juliet is endearing, playful and passionate as the teenager struggles with the conflict of her heart’s desire and parental pressures, and it very much becomes her play. Though she is a joy to watch throughout, it is a particularly unnerving scene between Juliet and her bullying father, played by Michael Hodgson, as both actors thrillingly convince. 

Tom Piper’s minimalist urban design, centred by a rotating cube, takes some getting used to but is surprisingly versatile. There is a poignancy in it providing both the setting for Romeo and Juliet’s marital bed and their final resting place. Sophie Cotton’s music highlights the contemporary feel and boundless energy of the play, notably during the Capulets’ masked ball, now a rave. 

While the play isn’t perfect – the opening scene feels out of place, the production drags at times and purists may wish to look away – it is undoubtably a fresh and accessible take on an age-old tale. And much like Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 movie, this inspiring, compelling and youthful adaptation is sure to open Shakespeare’s most famous love story to new audiences.

Runs until 19th January 2019

Reviewed by Kirsty Herrington

Photo credit: Topher McGrillis