A day of productions that, for the most part, had the age-old parent/child conflict as their driving force, and all of them as different from the next.
First up, perhaps the greatest parent/child conflict of all time: Oedipus (****). The story of the great king doomed by fate is a difficult one to stage, not only for its themes but also for its heavy-handedness and, to be frank, historic baggage. This production is by Steven Berkoff, and anyone familiar with his work will immediately know what to expect: highly stylised drama that trades social realism for epic-scale theatrics. On that front, this production definitely delivers the goods.
What was disappointing to a degree was that, at the performance I attended, Berkoff was not onstage. His assistant director, Matthew Cullum, filled in for the small but vital role of Creon, and he was as good as the rest of the solid cast.
Even if he was absent, Berkoff was still evident on stage. His translation forces his cast to speak in his famous speech patterns, and every moment is filled with a stylised excellence, from the use of slow-motion to the integration of masks. It is a very convincing production that proves how the classics, when treated with innovation and respect, can be just as relevant now.
Cul-de-Sac (***) is a dark bit of fun. Publicised as a male version of The Stepford Wives, the play takes a satirical look at neighbourhood relationships. It has a deeper resonance as the play also looks at male bonding, middle-class prejudices and the desperate acts that parents will commit for what they think will benefit their child.
And it works well. Each scene gets more sinister but remains funny, and all three performers, Alan Francis, Mike Hayley and Toby Longworth, are up for all of the shenanigans. It’s not one that lingers in the mind long after the performance concludes, but it is well done.
It might be a bit of stunt casting, but there’s still something lovely about seeing a play about a father and daughter played by the real thing. Rose (***) is about a refugee who’s running from his past and his daughter who, in an attempt to understand her roots, decides to embrace the Muslim faith.
The truth is that it’s a good production of a mediocre play. Keira Malik has the thankless role of the daughter, whose sole function is to serve as a foil for her father. This means the success of the production lies squarely on Art Malik, and he is more than up to the challenge. His is a great performance: touching, passionate and humane. It’s a worthy production, it just feels like it’s missing a key component somewhere.
The same goes for The Tempest (***). Visually it is an impressive feast for the eyes, full of colour and energy. It’s playful and filled with fun moments.
But clocking in at just over 90-minutes, it is a bit too short. By focusing on brevity and spectacle, the characters suffer, with none coming across as more than two-dimensional cartoon characters. It’s pretty, but it’s also pretty shallow.
Oedipus performs at 1320, Cul-de-Sac at 1515 and Rose at 1725 at the Pleasance Courtyard until Aug 29. The Tempest has concluded its run.
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