 | Comedy of Errors |  |
"It is thyself, mine own self's better part,
Mine eye's clear eye, my dear heart's dearer heart,
My food, my fortune and my sweet hope's aim,
My sole earth's heaven and my heaven's claim." Act III, scene ii
Written: 1593
Stratford Festival of Canada ; August 4, 2007 Stratford, Canada
Director : Richard Monette ; Starring :
Reviewed on : 2007-08-04 23:04:34 ; Reviewed by : Antonia Mandry
| Richard Monette’s The Comedy of Errors not only breaks the 4th wall repeatedly, but also chews it well, leaving it a bit damp around the edges. Cartoon, vaudeville, burlesque – this production includes anything and everything, including the kitchen sink.
The audience is immediately acquainted with exactly what they are in for with the pre-show cellphone announcement which is presented in … Greek. The curtain is a map of the Mediterranean of yore, complete with title and authorship (“Wm. Shakespeare (or another Elizabethan of the same name)”) and map tracks plotting the route of our helpless and hopeless heroes.
The main set piece is the Library at Ephesus in modern Turkey; a two story 6 door edifice which serves as a perfect Escher-like backdrop for a comedy of errors – a farce of ancient proportions. Everything is colourful, from the heavenly horizon, to the cartoon drawn horse, from Dr. Pinch’s makeup to the Dromio’s pajamas. The Antipholii stand out in relief with their simple white tunics etched in blue.
As for the performances, David Snelgrove plays the sweetly and stupidly starry-eyed foreigner delighted by fortune and misfortune alike. His handsome good looks play in contrast to Tom McCamus as his dissolute twin who has much too much gravitas to play such a role, but manages to pull it off anyway with an innate understanding of the words and a good deal of sport.
In-Surp Choi stepped in to offer a rather sane voice of the Duke, who evidently has an eye for the ladies, while Sophia Walker’s Luciana is equally lovely and comedic. It is only Allegra Fulton who falls somewhat flat, her initial entrance marked by a strange vocal quality that minimizes later but still leaves a bad taste.
But it is obviously Bruce Dow as Dromio of Syracuse who is the star of this show, as he mimes and pantomimes, shuffles and skips his way through the play. He sings, he dances, he makes rude jokes. He is the Jack Benny-meets-Benny Hill of Ancient Greece. Steve Ross does a good double act as Dromio of Ephesus, and his yellow underpants with smiley face are a good laugh, but Dow has the show in his pocket.
Some heights of audacity come from a live dog chasing a fake cat across stage (multiple times), a chase sequence right out of the Road Runner cartoons, and a Penguin who waddles on stage, interrupting the action, then turns with a sign “Just for the Critics” on it (no worries. Who doesn’t like penguins?). Brian Tree’s Egeon walks morosely across stage with a “My End is Near” sign that revolves to display Monette’s picture on the back. Brigit Wilson’s Courtesan speaks in the baby doll voice of Lina Lamont from Singin’ in the Rain and has a headdress that lights up when she has an idea. Clouds from the backdrop stick to the heroes as they attempt to “blend in.” These are only some of the ideas that one sensed were come up with late at night after watching multiple Laurel and Hardy snippets.
If you like cartoons and slapstick comedy and have the temperament of a 5-year-old, you’ll enjoy this production of one of Shakespeare's most unenjoyable plays.
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Sir John Gilbert, R.A.,
Comedy of Errors
Reviews
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July 11, 2009 |  | Midsummer Festival
June 27, 2008 | | CAP 21
April 12, 2008 |  | Stratford Festival of Canada
August 4, 2007 |  | Marin Shakespeare Company
September 9, 2006 |  | Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
August 1, 2006 |  | The Shakespeare Festival
July 23, 2006 |  | Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
July 16, 2005 |  | Bomb-Itty of Errors
2002 |  | Shakespeare Repertory
1997 | | BBC
1954 |
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