| Extravagance with no reasoning behind it |
At Theatr Clwyd |
| Clwyd Theatr Cymru- An Inspector Calls , Aberystwyth Arts Centre , November 14, 2006 |
Clwyd Theatr Cymru often produces great touring shows, full of visual richness and deeply affecting performances. So, such expectations in mind, I went to Aberystwyth Arts Centre to see Barry Kyle’s production of the old classic ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley. Sadly, what met me was a show which displayed extravagance with no reasoning behind it, a lot of unnecessary stage business and at least one performance which would have shamed even the lowliest theatre.The intriguing tale of the Birling family’s near-undoing at the hands of the mysterious Inspector Goole and their attempts to repair their relationships afterwards is a well-worn warhorse of the English-speaking theatrical canon, and on first glance, this production promised much. Martyn Bainbridge’s hefty but still quite elegant set, consisting of a raised, metal, circular, revolving platform set into a diamond arrangement of steps off, two chairs at opposite diagonals, two tables at the corners of the ground level, each with a chair – one with drinks decanters and glasses, the other with a phone. Behind, two large gauze screens (both a clouded view into the ‘corridor’ behind with its backdrop of rolling hills and a much-used projector screen) either side of an open doorway. Above – a reflective, angled panel with a circular opening or oculus leading up through a cylindrical structure to a light above. The pre-show setting was impressive: the set sitting cold and forbidding, with some smoke floating in the air while the characters were projected onto the gauzes, and a young woman lay in the doorway. The oculus in the panel above looked like a cold moon, and the actress was lit by a single blue spot. Expectations were high. Then the action began. The projection changed to scenes of fire and disaster and ‘Jerusalem’ blasted out of the speakers, the hills behind were highlighted and the actors made their entrance. Early vocal projection was not good, but this was rectified shortly after commencement though, vocally, actors often went into the realms of overcompensation thereafter. Robert Blythe’s showing as the father of the house, Arthur Birling, was initially worrying as his diction was, at the start, appalling, but he settled down. His voice was too booming at times, but it was a solid performance. On the other hand, Rosanna Lavelle as Sheila Birling started promisingly but soon drifted into vocal overstrain and spent most of the play in a wince-inducing state of stage hysteria which completely ruined the gravity of her role and the opportunities she had to give a more nuanced performance. Charlotte Gray-Jones was physically good in her various guises and kept her head throughout. Gerald Croft, played with suitably dashing physicality by Daniel Llewelyn-Williams, was occasionally overdone, but also with more restraint than some in other areas, and with some quite good comic moments. Also Dennis Herdman, who, though he did not give a perfect performance, grew into his role and carried off his later scenes with some aplomb. The star of the show, and the only consistently engaging performance came from the sparkling Elizabeth Counsell as Sybil Birling. Her portrayal of the character was well-judged, neatly nuanced and carried a slightly cold stateliness that was impressive. She almost saved the show from the arena of the absurd. The Inspector himself, however, played by Aaron Cass, was actually nigh on unwatchable. Lacking every degree of depth his character could possess, he paced around the stage striking stock stances right, left and centre. His delivery was wooden in its technique and, both physically and vocally, he careered wildly through various Central Casting stock characters, but mainly ‘Brooding Interrogator’, ‘Angry Cop’ and ‘Fire and Brimstone Preacher’. Now, I know there is much debate about the nature of this character, its potential other-worldliness, but Cass set the character so far aside from realism as to be laughable in the set-up Barry Kyle had created. In all, the acting, with the exception of Counsell, was generally flawed to a greater or lesser degree. I realise this is very much a period play, its wordy script rooted in both the 1912 of its setting and the 1940s of its writing and initial audience. However, there are ways of delivering this script that do not require a parody of a sub-standard Agatha Christie stage adaptation. The other main gripe I had with the acting, which actually I feel was a directorial fault, was the preponderance of unnecessary movement and stage business. Actors pacing, going round the houses to get to another position, lying down at bizarre moments – I can only imagine this was a last-minute attempt to keep the action fresh during very text-heavy scenes. It did not work. The lighting, to give it credit, was subtle and very well-employed in the show, but the set, though well-designed and well-constructed, was often a highly expensive white elephant. The reflective panel overhead served no purpose than to distract and to toplight the interrogation of Sheila through the oculus. Though a lot of productions of this play utilise a revolve, presumably to give a turning-the-tables feel to proceedings, there was actually no good reason for it in the way it was used in this production, especially this particular revolve, which can also tilt its central section, and indeed does so impressively at the end. All this technical wizardry is well and good when it is needed, but this show did not require it, particularly the tilt at the end, which did nothing more than give a grand bit of spectacle at the close of the play in order to startle the audience into enough applause to warrant two curtain calls. Incidentally, the tableau set into the recess behind the tilt, revealed to the bellowing of the second verse of ‘Jerusalem’ after yet another revolve made no real sense in the context the end of the play creates. It was extravagance run amok. The projections on the gauzes were beautiful and very well-executed, and their intentions clear, but they were wasted on this show. Congratulations nonetheless to Arnim Friess, who designed both the projections and the lighting, and to Kevin Heyes, who designed a very interesting and generally fitting soundscape. The costumes, too, were very beautiful, not least the Inspector’s billowing, scarlet-lined overcoat and the Birling women’s exquisite gowns, though I did wonder why all three men attached to the Birling household were wearing the same design of waistcoat. Perhaps I was missing something. Perhaps Barry Kyle pulled a very clever trick with this show which went over my head. Perhaps he and his company merged forty different kinds of symbolism and made a very important statement on the nature of such plays. I doubt it, though. For me, this was a prime waste of Clwyd Theatr Cymru’s not inconsiderable money and, frankly, a waste of my time. There is no merit in spectacle unless it makes a point. If there was a point to the spectacle, scurrying and stiltedness which suffused a lot of this show, I would genuinely like to hear what it was. The run continues in Aberystwyth until November 14th. Thereafter, it tours to Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor, from November 16th. |
Reviewed by: Paddy Cooper |
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