COMEDY REVIEW: A Bard’s Tale
24.05.2023 at Covert Theatre
This review is part of the 2023 Comedy Festival Lineup!
A scowling villain, a poisonous punch and a witty drunk; A Bard’s Tale is a feel- good frolic through the familiar and eccentric plays of William Shakespeare.
There are 100 deaths in Shakespeare’s plays; 52 of those are stabbings, with the more novel ways being baked into a pie (Titus Andronicus if you must know) and mauled by a bear (The Winter’s Tale). A Bard’s Tale is no less brutal and bizarre, serving us hors d’oeuvres of death, accompanied by noxious cocktails, and with a couple of resurrections thrown in for good measure.
A 17th Century sounding remix of Shakira’s Hip Don’t Lie welcomes us into the auditorium, while a textbook red velvet and gold crown sits atop a royal blue cushion on the stage. The simple yet effective staging is completed by an artificial box-tree plucked straight from the Shakespeare canon which stands comically in the background. Even if you’ve only seen She’s the Man (based on the Shakespearean comedy, Twelfth Night) then you’ll recognise the familiar themes of mistaken identity, love and revenge that permeate the works of Shakespeare and this improvised version.
Any show that is based on improvisation always carries a slight air of trepidation for me, especially one taking on the task of Bill Shakespeare - with about 37 plays to his name and over 400 versions performed each year around the globe. However, with the combined experience and knowledge of this veteran company, led by Covert Artistic Director Wade Jackson, we’re in safe hands. As the players bound onto the stage in their breaches, the happy Shakespeare boffin in me flicks through the pages of the classics in my head, wondering which parts they would pick to piece this play together.
The unparalleled charm of Shakespeare, wherever and however it is performed, is the connection created between the actors and the audience. The rapport that must be built and maintained is so necessary to keeping us engaged and onside as characters reveal their deepest desires and sordid secrets. Let’s be honest, it’s also hilarious to see your mate mocked by the fool or become the object of an excited lover’s affection. In the absence of a ‘yard’ space, the audience is instead in raked seating. But this ensemble manage to capture the essence and joy of talking to us like ‘groundlings’ and we are more than happy to hold out our hands to receive the antidote when the villain has a change of heart later in the play.
The players begin by introducing the Queen of the kingdom for the evening- an unassuming audience member named Catherine. The crown is placed upon her head and she chooses a villain among the cast. We are all then asked to provide a location where their tale could take place and had the audience been less sheepish they would have been met with a chorus of choices (our bad). My companion comes to the rescue with “Verona!” to which MC Jackson quizzes, “but where, specifically in Verona good sir?” and my friend helpfully pinpoints, “...the V” (sorry folks). An orchard is swiftly settled upon and away we go.
The scene is set where two siblings are discussing their position in the kingdom, their thriving Orchard and the brother’s love for the King’s daughter, Portia. Phillip Rice and CJ Le Mon play the siblings, perfectly chalk and cheese, as we learn of Le Mon’s love for her oranges (sorry) and her villainous intentions to murder her brother’s love, endearingly played by Vicki Miller. A mild and love-lost brother devising a way to woo his love, and a manipulative jealous sister, ka pai, we know where this is going, strap in.
We are then introduced to the lovable but clueless alehouse owner Asquith, played by Nik Edwards, and the rambunctious often-intoxicated Bonbolio played wonderfully by Paul Paice. We are treated to a series of witty and well-timed exchanges between the pair, as it is decided that their beloved local establishment ‘The V’ (ahem) is in desperate need of a refurb; the drinks menu a do-over; and Asquith’s manner a makeover. Perhaps they need to serve something fruitier, a cider of sorts; if only there was somewhere to find fruit in the kingdom…
What follows is a cleverly crafted plot-line littered with energy drink references and motley scenes. The certain repeated phrase of “children barren of spirit” and a ram-raid reference has us shift uncomfortably with this undeniably funny observation. The interwoven storylines come together nicely and it is enough that these players are enjoying themselves for us to happily follow their sometimes outrageous offerings.
One of the most memorable moments is our bumbling drunk Paice trying to woo villain Le Mon while she picks oranges. He makes a pig’s ear of it, yo-yoing up to woo her and back down again as Le Mon reminds him that he is her subject. Le Mon’s air of authority and wit matches Paice playfully, this paying off later after we can only assume that they have come from the bedroom. Another skillful comedy gem is when Paice prostrates himself before the King after a funny miscommunication involving the King’s daughter. The smallest and most impactful cameo is Rice’s Lord Cecile disguised as a young bartender at ‘The V’, who manages to steal the scene with just a few words croaked in his comical Northern English accent. In true Shakespearean style, things that happen off stage are just as important, brilliantly adhered to when the King, a swaggering Jackson, walks on stage wandering at the off-stage sight of his daughter tying her sheets together and escaping out of her window. Moments like this showcase the talent of the actors in weaving words and action to move the improvised storyline along, whilst treating us to the hilarity of human error, just as Shakespeare would have willed it.
This troupe know what they are doing and they have so much fun doing it that we cannot help but laugh along. If you liked the sound of that show then hard luck you missed it because each evening will be a totally new play - catch it while you can. A Bard’s Tale is on until Saturday and it is a fun, charming introduction to the eccentricities of the Shakespeare canon. So, head along to the charming Covert Theatre for a light touch of the bard.
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