A star vehicle, and Benedict Campbell certainly stood up to the role, delivering a fabulous performance as Archie Rice.
Corrine Koslo also gave an outstanding performance as Phoebe. The others had supporting parts, but as usual the whole cast was excellent. (One almost hopes for a terrible performance, jsut to ba able to complain about it.)
This was the first time we had been in the new studio theatre, which worked extremely well for this play. Very intimate space with stages at both ends, and the family home in the middle. It will be interesting to see how it is configured for other shows, if in fact it changes.
The play is definitely dated and I don't think it will wear well for many more years, but it was interesting as a piece reflecting a time and place.
Shaw steps out of the mandate! I hope the Shaw uses its Studio Theatre as Stratford normally uses its Studio - to stretch itself and its audience, (although not so much this year).
ReplyDeleteYes, written as a star vehicle and very much succeeds as that. benedict Campbell had big shoes to fill and succeeds in doing so.
We're back in the music hall again - this year's theme? - and both it and Thatcher's England are fading in the memory, although the latter still seems to burn in the British arts community's consciousness.
I don't think this play will last, unless there are name actors who continue to lust after the Archie role.