Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Measure for Measure Review

Measure for Measure
(Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon)

I am looking forward to seeing four Shakespeare plays new to me onstage this year. This is mostly due to the World Shakespeare Festival that is taking place this year, during which I will be seeing King John and Troilus and Cressida at the RSC, and hopefully Timon of Athens as part of the National Theatre Live Season. Outside of this festival, the first play I have just seen is Measure for Measure, one of Shakespeare's later problematic comedy plays, which is an intriguing story, different from the usual Shakespeare comedy.

The Duke of Vienna, Vincentio (Raymond Coulthard), announces his intentions to leave the city for a while, during which his trusted deputy, Angelo (Jamie Ballard), would be left in charge. In fact the Duke secretly remains in the city dressed as a monk, so that he can observe Angelo's regime, which turns out to be strict. Under his new laws against sexual licence, Angelo has Claudio (Mark Quartley) sentenced to death for making his lover Juliet (Sarah Ovens) pregnant before they are lawfully married. Claudio asks his sister Isabella (Jodie McNee), a novice in a nunnery, to go to Angelo and persuade him to pardon her brother. Angelo asks a horrified Isabella to defy her beliefs and have sex with him before he pardons Claudio. The Duke secretly helps Isabella find a way to free her brother.

Sexuality was the main theme of the production from the get-go. There is a sense that Vienna is built upon strip-clubs and brothels, as leather clad men and women participate in sexual acts. Even the Duke wears a tightly fitted corset, and during the scenes that were set in his palace there were always two women standing with spiked leather lampshades worn over their heads. However, it is unclear why they remained whilst Angelo was in charge. Claudio and Juliet were first shown in chains with fetish pieces attached to shame them. It was interesting to see a mix of both sixteenth century and modern undertones to the theme, showing that attitudes to sex are no different now to the 16th century. If I did have an issue, it would be that as the play progressed the theme was used less and less, and the setting became primarily sixteenth century. It was a shame that director Roxana Silbert could not have taken the theme all the way through the production.

Raymond Coulthard dominates the stage while carefully planning how to deal with Angelo. From the start he shows that he is in control by clapping to bring down the house lights. He even gives the impression that he manipulates the events that take place, revealing rolled up letters out of nowhere, giving a bewitching edge to his supremacy. Jamie Ballard presented Angelo as someone who would object to the sexual deeds that were taking place in the city, yet struggled to stand by his laws when Isabella was pleading with him to free her brother. The moment when he falls for Isabella was interesting, because he is taken aback and becomes bashful. This however made his sudden desire to have sex with her out of character. Jodie McNee plays the virtuous Isabella with frailty, yet firm in her compassionate support for her brother when some of the other characters would write her off as collateral damage. Paul Chahidi plays Lucio, a bachelor and friend of Claudio who at first helps him, yet changes sides every time he sees an opportunity that benefits him, without consideration of people like Isabella. Paul plays this slippery man with flamboyance and glee, and it is hilarious seeing his reaction the moment when everything goes wrong for him.

In fact there was a number of entertaining supporting characters who brought some colourful moments to the production. There is a subplot where a rogue named Pompey (Joseph Kloska) is imprisoned for his involvement with the brothels, and is given the option to become an assistant to the executioner, Abhorson (Youssef Kerkour), for which his crimes will be forgiven. Here we are given another angle on society in Vienna from the confines of the prison, and Kloska gave the audience a hilarious moment describing the crimes committed by some of them. Plaudits must also go to Daniel Stewart as Barnardine who staggered drunkenly from beneath the stage, refusing to be executed. Elsewhere, Ian Midlane played Elbow as an overweight man child who would throw tantrums in frustration. Annette McLaughlin played the owner of a brothel, Mistress Overdone, who faces her loss of livelihood with dignity. This play has so many characters that represent different parts of society, and the actors played them with embellishment and clarity.

The design too brought a colourful edge to the production. Adding to the theme of sex, the set at the back was dominated by long, hanging, leather whips. With certain lighting they brought some depth to the scenes. At one point the Duke stood behind them whilst eavesdropping on a conversation, and by the end they were raised for a grand entrance. Their length also gave a sense of scale, and the lighting helped to establish such scenes as the dungeons, the streets of Vienna and the flora within Mariana's (Catherine Hamilton) garden. The traditional theme of the underworld beneath the stage is also put to good use as prisoners lumber to and from their cells.

I hear that this is a difficult play to put on, but this is the first time I have seen a production of this play and I found it both easy to follow and entertaining. The characterisations were colourful and the production went to great lengths to establish the sexual attitudes that were rife within Vienna. For newcomers to the play this is easily worth a high Top Price.

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