DRAMA
Every character in this piece, wherever and whenever you looked, was completely on-song
beautifully poised Tristan, bubbling up with hilarious bobbles of French as he wooed his charming Yseult (Lucy Edwards in fine, fun form, mirroring everything that he did). Pearl Salmon-White as the Master of Ceremonies too, in extraordinary black-and-white striped trousers, conducted the proceedings in clipped, crystal tones with a sense of total command. Meanwhile, Jonny Stone, who has evolved his aristocratic buffoon over the years into a niche role, was credible as the hapless, well-meaning king. Every role had a sharp physicality, and Zak Asgard’s twitching, rabbiting Frocin was an injection of electricity into the proceedings. One could see the effects of what must have been a highly inventive, playful approach to rehearsals, in every aspect of the show. Rehearsal sticks, just pieces of dowling to the layperson, but powerful generators of dynamics and status in the rehearsal room, were used to push and pull and create the relationships, and became cages, spears, candy canes, whatever was needed. The whole cast too, it was clear, played and played until something emerged, and in this gossamer way something really extraordinary rose up on the stage at JAGS, creating a glorious mash-up of Paris in the 1920s, the world of Marcel Marceau, and the spirits of Jacques Lecoq and Philippe Gaulier, those founders of ‘true’ clowning.
This cast took their inspiration from Kneehigh and Emma Rice, granted, but it is another thing entirely to enter into that kind of process with the sense of total immersion and energy that this cast achieved. Importantly, too, they were supported by some excellent staging, lighting, costume and make- up. A huge round of applause must go to all. Take a bow, take a bow!
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