Theatre
#3 v.
V
Unbardonable
As Northern Stage bring their new version of the Henry VI trilogy to this side of the border, Steve Cramer examines some of Shakespeare’s less loveable plays
et's be reverent. btit not too reverent. Of course.
most of us would agree that Shakespeare is the
greatest writer in the language; but the problem with building a canon is that whoever is sitting at the top of the pile must then be defended to the death. So it is with Shakespeare. who. for all the King Lears. Ilumlels and Mueheths. did write some dogs. 'Iim Gentlemen of lemnu practically barks on stage. and is perhaps the least funny comedy of its century. Having studied other lilizabethan comedies. I can tell you that it‘s tip against some pretty stiff opposition. And it‘s not just Shakespeare's early. immature plays (the usual excuse. when we‘re not blaming it on some other author) that bark at you as you halt by them. Henry VIII is almost too weird to be a stinker. But not quite. 'Iim Noble Kinsmen might not have been all Shakespeare‘s work. but it seems undemocratic that he never gets any blame. Just avoid Shakespeare plays with Inns in the title. or don‘t complain you weren't warned.
There are other plays. like 'Iilus .‘TIIt/I'UNIt‘llS. which are perfectly stageable if you ignore their ostensible intent. and play them quite differently. I‘ve always felt that TS Eliot was right about this one: Titus is just too pants to be a tragedy. and is surely more of a strange. violent farce. The Mere/rant of Venice is like Pamela Anderson: only shapely after major surgery. Meanwhile. whichever way you turn ('_va2eline and The ll’inrer's Iii/e they really don‘t make much sense. however beautiful.
Which brings us to Henry VI. a trilogy with more bark than Bard about it. Our greatest critical minds have spent centuries trying to lit tip Robert Greene or George Peele. admittedly habitual recidivists on the playwriting front. for this particular crime. but of recent
84 THE LIST 8-22 Jun 2006
TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA IS SUCH A DOG IT PRACTICALLY BARKS ON STAGE
years we‘ve had to crawl back. like penitent drunks to the missus. and fess up: he wasn't on holiday on the (‘osta del Sol at the time. it was our Billy. The problem. I suppose. is two fold. Firstly. history was not on Shakespeare‘s side. for so complex was the history he (as usual. very loosely) represented. that the characters constantly get in each other's way. More seriously. the eponymous monarch acquires little of the heroic status that Shakespeare provided for other flawed historical characters. In fact. he‘s just a bit of a dag.
Yet. I‘d urge you to go and see this particular version of the trilogy. for several reasons. Firstly. you won't get too many chances to see it. And secondly. bad Shakespeares often brings out the best in actors. I've even laughed at Two (ienls. not so much at the text. which is about as funny as (iallipoli. but at watching really skilled comic actors extracting chortles from the audience with appropriately—timed face—pulling and rude gesturing.
Most of all. one can‘t help but feel that Barry
Rutter‘s Northern Stage bring the right kind of
theatrical nous to this type of piece. Their relaxed. non RP. colloquial style might just make a breezy affair of the story. while the theatrical style might
well bring out the interest in characters like Joan of
Arc. here a kind of fascinating psychotic. To be on the safe side. as well. this production. in co-operation with West Yorkshire Playhouse. melds Henry VI into two parts. and rounds off with the historically consistent Richard III. a far superior play. Presumably they're ending the trilogy with the hump so their audience don‘t do the same. Wise choice.
The Wars of The Roses, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue 20-Sat 24 Jun
Hit
THE BEST THEATRE 8 DANCE
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3|! Wars of the Roses Northern Stage and West Yorkshire Playhouse present this rendering of the three parts of Henry VI, in combination with Richard III. The former is a trilogy seldom seen, and, given the rough, approachable style of Barry Rutter's Northern Stage. it might be a story worth sitting through. Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue 20—Sat 24 Jun. 3|! Paradise Lost The Oxford Stage Company's adaptation of Milton's religious/English Civil War epic was much acclaimed on its first production two years ago. This revival promises poetry in broad sweeps and many visual splendours. Dundee Rep, until Sat 10 Jun. all Sinner The homophobic and racist bombings of London neo- fascist David Copeland are the starting point for this physical theatre piece from Stan Won't Dance. a new company founded by two former members of DV8, Rob Tannion and Liam Steel. Promising text, movement and multimedia, this piece sets out to examine the nature of good and evil. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 70 Jun.
III Shell Connections The best Youth Theatres in Scotland will be strutting their stuff in this jamboree of young talent at the Lyceum. The latter's own Youth Theatre are among the performers. bringing us a revival of last year's well received 7779 Mrac/e Ftoyal Lyceum, Edinburgh, Tue 13—Sat 17 Jun.