 | 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
Midsummer Festival ; June 27, 2008 Dyffryn Gardens, UK
Director : Richard Tunley ; Starring :
Reviewed on : 2008-06-29 09:39:14 ; Reviewed by : Helen Prior
| In a week containing both Glastonbury and Wimbledon the weather was always going to be a little on the unpredictable side, but in Wales it decided to be fairly consistent - windy and raining. However despite the weather’s best attempts at making any outdoor production an uncomfortable one it did not detract from the enthusiasm and professionalism exhibited by the cast of the Midsummer Festival’s production of The Comedy of Errors.
Believed to have been one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays, The Comedy of Errors is a not overly long bawdy farce, and one that can lose a certain amount of substance should a production just focus on the humour and the misdirection and communication. Director Richard Tunley’s choice to make this production a musical, which drew on a number of styles including vaudeville, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and music hall, gave each of the characters far more depth and engaged the character’s attention greater than just with the usual slapstick routines. That’s not to say the slapstick wasn’t enjoyable, as it really was, being more like a Marx Brothers film rather than a Carry On production – also the timings and mirrored movements and almost identical mannerisms from both the Dromios (Calum Small and Daniel Parker) were spot on and when coupled with their identical costumes and the near match looks of the actors really made you believe they could be twins. For me it was these two that stole the show, with the strong performances of the two Antipholus’s coming close behind.
The first thing that struck me about the production was the costumes, which were all brightly coloured and made me feel like I was watching Grease rather than Shakespeare, with the women in big polka dot skirts, and the men matched to their partners with bright coloured trousers and polka dot ties. This made a good contrast against the fairly plain but elegant outdoor stage.
The other main prop device that the cast used were four equally brightly coloured front doors, one of which was used to great comedy value when Antipholus of Ephesus (Dean Verbeck) is barred from his own home – I don’t think I’d ever expected to see a farting competition through a letterbox in a Shakespeare play before.
Lewis Cook as Antipholus of Syracuse successfully conveyed the innocence and the eventual blind panic of being in a city beset with “Dark-working sorcerers that change the mind” where everyone knows him by name, and in contrast Dean Verbeck’s descent from smooth talking lothario to wrongly accused of being possessed was a joy to watch. Other strong performances came from the two sisters Adriana – portrayed by Christina Richards as a jaded and cynical woman finding solace in berating men through the medium of jazz and in the depths of a wine bottle, and Luciana – portrayed by Becci Lewis as a bookish naïve innocent who is in love with the idea of love.
Strong support came from Lizzie Bennett in her role as the lusty wench Nell, and Richard Thomas stood out in his role as Dr “Daddy” Pinch, the exorcist done in a the style of a 1970s hippy guru. The ensemble cast brought colour and comedy to all the musical numbers and the crowd scenes.
Of course what helped define this production was the choice of music. Hightlights included the opening number done as an ensemble piece A Comedy Tonight! which set the theme of fast paced comic fun. Me & My Shadow was a touching and very funny duet between both the Dromios and their masters with the sets interchanging without them noticing, Somethin’ Stupid added a touching quality and to the confusion for Luciana’s interest in the man she believes to be her sister’s husband, and finally the excessive Rhythm of Life performed during the exorcism had the audience’s feet tapping and people clapping along.
A highly enjoyable production and a great night out, which could have been easily let down by the weather but the cast didn’t allow that to happen. They firmly followed the adage ‘the show must go on’ and I’m very it glad it did.
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Sir John Gilbert, R.A.,
Comedy of Errors
Reviews
|  | Royal Shakespeare Company
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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