The Revenger’s Tragedy
Reviews
Some fine ensemble work
We should consider ourselves lucky to have SOOP working on our doorstep. Their earlier self-devised versions of The Overcoat and The Flying Monk have demonstrated that the creative urge is alive and well and thriving locally.
So how do they manage with their first non-devised piece - the supremely perverse comic version of The Revenger's Tragedy?
The piece brims over with the same creative energy found in their earlier work - and director Nathan Chapman has brought the best out in his versatile cast. Combining physical theatre with puppetry, acting and singing, this cast of four bring to life around 20 characters.
Fine ensemble work allows each performer to step forward in turn to take the limelight and the acting honours are shared.
Henry Oastler, as ever, shines. One of the finest actors we have locally, he clearly feels at home with the creativity required by this type of theatre.
Nathan Chapman and Alice Corrigan marvellously hurl themselves in, as always, and the angelically-voiced Rachel Carter completes the quartet.
Witty, clever, funny. And still surprisingly tragic.
So how do they manage with their first non-devised piece - the supremely perverse comic version of The Revenger's Tragedy?
The piece brims over with the same creative energy found in their earlier work - and director Nathan Chapman has brought the best out in his versatile cast. Combining physical theatre with puppetry, acting and singing, this cast of four bring to life around 20 characters.
Fine ensemble work allows each performer to step forward in turn to take the limelight and the acting honours are shared.
Henry Oastler, as ever, shines. One of the finest actors we have locally, he clearly feels at home with the creativity required by this type of theatre.
Nathan Chapman and Alice Corrigan marvellously hurl themselves in, as always, and the angelically-voiced Rachel Carter completes the quartet.
Witty, clever, funny. And still surprisingly tragic.
by James George in The News, Portsmouth.
1st February 2011
1st February 2011
You don’t see many productions of The Revenger’s Tragedy. With so many characters, a complicated plot and a plan for gruesome revenge so over the top it can only come across as comic to a modern audience, it’s a minefield of potential problems for a director brave enough to take it on.
Nathan Chapman took all these challenges and turned them into highlights in SOOP’s skilful production. With four actors playing 17 characters I was concerned this would make the plot harder to follow. However the script had been stripped right down and the production cleverly used costume accents and beautiful original commedia masks and puppets to differentiate the characters. This meant the actors could create commedia dell’arte style over the top characters which were instantly recognisable and very funny. Though far removed from the traditional style for a Jacobean revenge tragedy the commedia style fit perfectly with the Italian setting and transformed the play into a black comedy ideal for a contemporary audience. At times it was like watching the League of Gentlemen.
A strong ensemble cast really made this production work. The actors changed quickly between characters of different age and sex without it being confusing because the performances were so concise. Alice Corrigan showed particular skill when playing two brothers at the same time, one through a puppet, which was very funny particularly when she was alone on stage and the characters suddenly realised they were holding the head of their third brother in a bag. Rachel Carter played a brilliant Castiza, moving in stilted ballet positions. This made the character look awkward and at odds with the others, which I thought helped set her apart as the only virtuous one and by contrast made the scheming, lustful and revenge-hungry characters even more grotesque.
I was reminded of some of Propeller’s Shakespeare productions where a cut down script, vivid characters and precise physical performances make a script modern and accessible. SOOP’s production would be ideal as an introduction to the genre, or equally give Jacobean drama fans a fresh and original take on the play.
The Revenger’s Tragedy offers a fascinating insight into what people watched before we had Hollyoaks or Saw 4 to satisfy our urge for sex scandal and gruesome violence and this is a brilliant opportunity to see it tackled in a unique way. It’s a rare production which will make you laugh all the way through a play first performed in 1606! If SOOP are performing near you do not miss the opportunity to see this.
Nathan Chapman took all these challenges and turned them into highlights in SOOP’s skilful production. With four actors playing 17 characters I was concerned this would make the plot harder to follow. However the script had been stripped right down and the production cleverly used costume accents and beautiful original commedia masks and puppets to differentiate the characters. This meant the actors could create commedia dell’arte style over the top characters which were instantly recognisable and very funny. Though far removed from the traditional style for a Jacobean revenge tragedy the commedia style fit perfectly with the Italian setting and transformed the play into a black comedy ideal for a contemporary audience. At times it was like watching the League of Gentlemen.
A strong ensemble cast really made this production work. The actors changed quickly between characters of different age and sex without it being confusing because the performances were so concise. Alice Corrigan showed particular skill when playing two brothers at the same time, one through a puppet, which was very funny particularly when she was alone on stage and the characters suddenly realised they were holding the head of their third brother in a bag. Rachel Carter played a brilliant Castiza, moving in stilted ballet positions. This made the character look awkward and at odds with the others, which I thought helped set her apart as the only virtuous one and by contrast made the scheming, lustful and revenge-hungry characters even more grotesque.
I was reminded of some of Propeller’s Shakespeare productions where a cut down script, vivid characters and precise physical performances make a script modern and accessible. SOOP’s production would be ideal as an introduction to the genre, or equally give Jacobean drama fans a fresh and original take on the play.
The Revenger’s Tragedy offers a fascinating insight into what people watched before we had Hollyoaks or Saw 4 to satisfy our urge for sex scandal and gruesome violence and this is a brilliant opportunity to see it tackled in a unique way. It’s a rare production which will make you laugh all the way through a play first performed in 1606! If SOOP are performing near you do not miss the opportunity to see this.
Ellie Dawes