“The story of King Arthur in the Blair government,” is how playwright Lewis Davies describes his latest work, Spinning The Round Table, a highly enjoyable drama that does indeed update the legend from the middle ages to the modern day.
Arthur (Ceris Jones) is the newly elected president – of the UK, one presumes, although this is never actually clarified. With his attractive, devoted wife, Gwen (Alison John), at his side, this charismatic politician offers a fresh vision for the country’s future. But as Arthur begins to devote more and more time to his work and Gwen becomes ever more despondent at having to forgo her own political career for the sake of her husband’s it isn’t long before a scheming Morgan (Emyr John) – put out by Arthur’s decision to make Lawrence (Morgan Rhys) his first minister – begins to use his job as spin doctor for his own gains.
Parallels between the play and both the Arthurian legend and the Blair government are apparent throughout – political rivalry, power struggles, backstabbing and infidelity have been around forever – yet having no knowledge of either doesn’t prevent Spinning The Round Table from being a strong and provocative drama. It is above all a story of relationships, both romantic and professional, the lengths to which people will go to get what they want, and how neglect in either area has consequences.
Davies adds to this a set of convincing characters where none is entirely good or bad yet circumstance brings out the worst in each of them. Under the direction of Chris Morgan, the performers more than make the parts their own, and as this is only the fourth night of a three-month tour it will be interesting to see how the show develops.
Original, provocative and entertaining, Cardiff-based Hijinx Theatre is currently on an extensive tour of Wales and with around 40 dates to choose from there’s no excuse for not catching a performance near you. |
