(Michael Jibson as Dromio of Syracuse, and Owain Arthur as Dromio of Ephesus) Photo by Jonathan Keenan.Review
Shakespeare’s madcap tale of two sets of separated identical twins, and the various misunderstandings and bewildering situations they find themselves in, is given a tremendously energetic and colourful outing at The Royal Exchange by director Roxana Silbert.
Anthony MacIlwaine’s set comprises a large white revolving dais that is subtly used to gently propel the actors around in carousel fashion, adding a giddy, dreamlike quality to the action. The play opens with the grand entrance of Solinus, the Duke of Ephesus (Munir Khairdin successfully channeling the spirit of Yul Brynner’s King), who is lowered from the ceiling in David Blaine fashion, sitting on a chair in an ornate glass case. There is then a rather ponderous scene where the Duke hears the imprisoned Egeon (Fred Ridgeway) plead (at great length) for his life after accidentally trespassing where he ought not to be, and in so doing give us all the detailed back story of an ill-fated sea voyage and the apparent loss of his newly-born twin sons, both named Antipholus, and their personal servants, baby twins again and both named Dromio. You can see where the confusion comes in.
As ever in Shakespeare’s early comedies, the emphasis is on action and dialogue rather than a coherent story and a reasonably plausible plot, and so it is up to the actors to carry us through the play at breakneck speed and so negate the need to ponder on any inconsistencies of character or story. And here they certainly do that. The dashing Samuel Collings as Antipholus (of Syracuse) kicks off the action when he arrives in Ephesus with loyal but long suffering servant Dromio (equally of Syracuse, and played with impish relish by Michael Jibson). Unbeknownst to them, their siblings have lived here all their lives, and confusingly have adopted a similar dress sense (see where we’re going here?). Encountering a variety of family members and friends of their opposite numbers, a series of crazy misunderstandings based on mistaken identity take place. Forget trying to follow the story, and just sit back and enjoy the actors going through every emotion known to man. I can just imagine Shakespeare chuckling away to himself as he wrote this, and adding ever more hoops for the characters to leap through. This is a young play by a young man, and demands an equally youthful and energetic cast to make it work. Director Silbert has chosen well, and her ensemble worked hard to ensure a grand concoction of delightful and supremely entertaining froth.
Jack Farthing is a star in the making; his Antipholus of Ephesus being an absolute triumph with wonderful body language and an ability to convey confusion, delight, embarrassment, lust and bewilderment with just a slight twitch of the eyebrows or a subtle tilt of the head. A young Gryff Rhys Jones comes to mind here. Farthing’s gay fop contrasts beautifully with Collings’ more gung-ho approach. The stand out though was Owain Arthur as Dromio of Ephesus; this barrel-chested young Welsh actor giving a glorious, barnstorming performance of perpetual exasperation; he and Farthing made a fantastic team.
Orla Fitzgerald as Adriana oozed sexual energy and delighted as the lustful wife of Antipholus of Ephesus; her husky Irish tones being the icing on a rather delicious looking cake.
All’s well that ends well though, when Jan Chappell as The Abbess (who, conveniently turns out to be Egeon’s long-lost wife, and mother of the Antipholus twins) comes floating down from the heavens like a fairy godmother in an all-white habit decorated with what looked like xmas tree lights. The world is put to rights, and the audience cheer an exhausted cast.
Phew!
Anthony MacIlwaine’s set comprises a large white revolving dais that is subtly used to gently propel the actors around in carousel fashion, adding a giddy, dreamlike quality to the action. The play opens with the grand entrance of Solinus, the Duke of Ephesus (Munir Khairdin successfully channeling the spirit of Yul Brynner’s King), who is lowered from the ceiling in David Blaine fashion, sitting on a chair in an ornate glass case. There is then a rather ponderous scene where the Duke hears the imprisoned Egeon (Fred Ridgeway) plead (at great length) for his life after accidentally trespassing where he ought not to be, and in so doing give us all the detailed back story of an ill-fated sea voyage and the apparent loss of his newly-born twin sons, both named Antipholus, and their personal servants, baby twins again and both named Dromio. You can see where the confusion comes in.
As ever in Shakespeare’s early comedies, the emphasis is on action and dialogue rather than a coherent story and a reasonably plausible plot, and so it is up to the actors to carry us through the play at breakneck speed and so negate the need to ponder on any inconsistencies of character or story. And here they certainly do that. The dashing Samuel Collings as Antipholus (of Syracuse) kicks off the action when he arrives in Ephesus with loyal but long suffering servant Dromio (equally of Syracuse, and played with impish relish by Michael Jibson). Unbeknownst to them, their siblings have lived here all their lives, and confusingly have adopted a similar dress sense (see where we’re going here?). Encountering a variety of family members and friends of their opposite numbers, a series of crazy misunderstandings based on mistaken identity take place. Forget trying to follow the story, and just sit back and enjoy the actors going through every emotion known to man. I can just imagine Shakespeare chuckling away to himself as he wrote this, and adding ever more hoops for the characters to leap through. This is a young play by a young man, and demands an equally youthful and energetic cast to make it work. Director Silbert has chosen well, and her ensemble worked hard to ensure a grand concoction of delightful and supremely entertaining froth.
Jack Farthing is a star in the making; his Antipholus of Ephesus being an absolute triumph with wonderful body language and an ability to convey confusion, delight, embarrassment, lust and bewilderment with just a slight twitch of the eyebrows or a subtle tilt of the head. A young Gryff Rhys Jones comes to mind here. Farthing’s gay fop contrasts beautifully with Collings’ more gung-ho approach. The stand out though was Owain Arthur as Dromio of Ephesus; this barrel-chested young Welsh actor giving a glorious, barnstorming performance of perpetual exasperation; he and Farthing made a fantastic team.
Orla Fitzgerald as Adriana oozed sexual energy and delighted as the lustful wife of Antipholus of Ephesus; her husky Irish tones being the icing on a rather delicious looking cake.
All’s well that ends well though, when Jan Chappell as The Abbess (who, conveniently turns out to be Egeon’s long-lost wife, and mother of the Antipholus twins) comes floating down from the heavens like a fairy godmother in an all-white habit decorated with what looked like xmas tree lights. The world is put to rights, and the audience cheer an exhausted cast.
Phew!
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