Show: Codpieces: Fatal Loins
Society: Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Venue: theSpace@Surgeons' Hall
Credits: Ham-a-Lot
Type: Sardines
Author: Chris Abbott
Performance Date: 12/08/2015
Codpieces: Fatal Loins
Chris Abbott | 12 Aug 2015 15:46pm
Perry Pontac’s Codpieces are three one-act plays, originally written for Radio 4 but now released in stage versions that are rich in visual comedy as well as witty language.
Fatal Loins tells the story of Romeo and Juliet’s wedded life, if they had not both died, and includes much knockabout fun with a Juliet grown large and Romeo in drag – and in love with Friar Laurence.
Unfortunately, none of that visual humour featured in this under-rehearsed production as the company decided to present it as if it was being recorded for radio, with no explanation or context for this – the woman next to me was convinced she must have come to the wrong play.
Presenting a radio recording is not a new idea of course, and can work well if voicework is a strength of the company and appropriate attention is paid to sound effects. Neither of these was the case here, unfortunately, and this company were well out of their depth. No attempt appeared to have been made by most cast members to learn any of their part, and they simply read their lines from scripts, stumbling over them frequently as most were not natural sight readers, and with little ability to speak the verse or point the many comic lines.
The narrator even managed to stand in her own light, repeatedly, and compounded her difficulties with reading. All but one of the men were in evening dress, but the other one wasn’t; the women were dressed casually.
This very funny play was received, at least to begin with, in almost total silence, and with the possible exception of the un-named actors playing Romeo and Juliet, little attention given to the creation of character. Pontac’s cod-Shakespearean lines like “odorous Hartlepool” need to be delivered straight and not archly with a sidelong glance at the audience.
Bizarrely, the one actor who had learnt her part, understood the lines and could get laughs where they were due, was cast as Rosaline, the smallest role. At one point, even a member of the cast looked at his watch to see what time it was; I know how he felt.
No information was available about company, cast or direction; probably just as well.
- : admin
- : 12/08/2015