A VERY GREAT TALENT TO AMUSE
Rival psychopathies emerge from the first moments of “Cornley Drama Society” as Chris (Daniel Fraser) and Robert (Henry Lewis) face off at auditions over which one will be Scrooge and which will be director. Both want both jobs. Chris is nervy, controlling, aspiring to dramaturgical seariousness, attempting deadpan authority as he turns down auditionees he knows he will have to use anyway as there’s nobody else. Except the local tennis club as extras. Lewis’ Robert is a different shade of psychopath: big, bluff and determined, destined to continue fighting equally vigorously onstage for the Scrooge role, at times actually throwing his rival out of the four-poster bed (set and costumes are tremendous, classy work by Libby Todd. They have to be because some of the technical jokes are – let’s just say unexpected, and perilous).
Just as in this Mischief Theatre’s Peter Pan – which used a lot of Barrie’s text alongside collapsing bunks and disastrous flying – Dickens’ lines are kept around a lot, their own comic and dramatic value appreciated even as modern arguments pop up about matters like whether Die Hard is a Christmas film . The various am-dram personalities are firmly established from the off: apart from the warring Chris and Robert there is helpful optimistic Annie, starry-eyed aspirant Max, traumatized Dennis, and not least another budding psychopath in Chris Leask’s Trevor the angry stagehand. Who, after the second crashing descent of a stage light , snarls “Only when the weak have fallen will the lighting rig be strong”.
It’s casual lines like that, alongside the artful escalation of running jokes and immense physical absurdities (no spoilers) which make us howl with helplessness. There’s universal recognition too: almost my favourite moment is Annie’s prolonged deadpan reading of the minutes of the last hopeless drama-soc committee meeting. That deserves an Olivier all to itself.
No more description. Just go, just enjoy it. As I have: ever since 2013 when the Play that Goes Wrong escaped from pub-theatre into a basement at the Trafalgar, I have cheered on Mischief Theatre. Not that they have needed it what with Offies, Olivier, Broadway, sellouts everywhere. They’ve devloped and moved on in the same style: Peter Pan, the bank robbery, the spies, and at one point two of the creatives Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer in the barmy Mind Mangler magic spoof, after which nobody will ever respect Derren Brown again. Each new show makes me anxiously wonder whether they will pull it off again: that exuberant comic precision, inventive parody, the good jokes on the theatre profession’s own vanities, the merry good humour and frightening slapstick physical bravery. American Matt diCarlo directs this , as he did The Comedy About Spies, having encountered the Mischief crew while associate on the Broadway Play That Goes Wrong . He clearly bonds in spirit with our heroes.
So as usual Mischief has pulled it off, triumphantly. . . Always the same spirit, a fierce determination to release surprising barks and sudden uncontrollable waves of laughter. Lewis, Sayer and Henry Shields as founding creatives and writers earn much of the credit, alongside Nancy Zamit, and three are onstage in this one (though Zamit will share the role of Annie with Dumile Sibanda). But the whole ensemble gathered round the founders (two of whom, Lewis and Sayer, also perform this time) is remarkable. A newcomer is SAsha Frost, who as Sandra takes on the narration, solemn Dickensian style, as well as several parts. And it’s good to see no fewer than seven understudies credited, because it’s always hard to believe Mischief players often get away unbruised. They are a credit to the nation, rejoice in them. And wish them all the happiest of Christmases.
nimaxtheatres.com to 25 Jan
rating 5 fine mice! and an extra for the stage management, as this stuff isn’t easy…
theatreCat 