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Cultural 2
Oct. 16th, 2004 06:17 pmWell, tonight I'm in an easyInternet cafe (aren't the connections in these places slow?), just down the road from the Royal Court Theatre. I've been promising myself more theatre trips this year, and my third one of 2004 was to see "Dumb Show". It's a three handed, one act play set in a swish hotel room with a massive window looking out onto a wide open skyline (and providing lots of opportunities for well-blocked reflections of the three actors).
Joe Penhall's play follows the the decline and fall of Barry, a Michael Barrymore/Shane Ritchie-sque Light Entertainer, played with muscular vigour by Douglas Hodge. It's an interesting performance, different to the usual roles I've seen him play on TV - middle-class, professional people - with bits of schtick that seem inspired by, among others, Lee Evans and Tommy Cooper. He's persuasive as a "Mr Saturday Night" type, a game show host just slightly on the wane, and although we don't hear much material from his routine he's convincing as someone who has been doing the same job just a bit too long.
Rupert Graves isn't called on to be too deep and meaningful, and seems to be channeling Richard Madeley about halfway through - to solid comic effect. Anna Maxwell Martin has flashes of insouciant stubbornness that provide a faint echo of her performance as Lyra - and she also gets a chance to show off her comic timing again, one of the things that I think I should have mentioned in my Dark Thoughts some months ago.
Joe Penhall's play follows the the decline and fall of Barry, a Michael Barrymore/Shane Ritchie-sque Light Entertainer, played with muscular vigour by Douglas Hodge. It's an interesting performance, different to the usual roles I've seen him play on TV - middle-class, professional people - with bits of schtick that seem inspired by, among others, Lee Evans and Tommy Cooper. He's persuasive as a "Mr Saturday Night" type, a game show host just slightly on the wane, and although we don't hear much material from his routine he's convincing as someone who has been doing the same job just a bit too long.
Rupert Graves isn't called on to be too deep and meaningful, and seems to be channeling Richard Madeley about halfway through - to solid comic effect. Anna Maxwell Martin has flashes of insouciant stubbornness that provide a faint echo of her performance as Lyra - and she also gets a chance to show off her comic timing again, one of the things that I think I should have mentioned in my Dark Thoughts some months ago.
