Review- The Venetian Twins
Date Reviewed: 27th October, 2008
Venue: Octagon Theatre
The second show of the current Octagon season is another first-rate gem. Associate Artist Paul Hunter (of Told By An Idiot fame) delivers a flawless production of skill, physical and verbal dexterity, and slapstick comedy of the highest order. I really cannot remember the last time I laughed out loud so much in a theatre. And not a polite “English teacher watching a Shakespeare matinee” titter, but howling gales of laughter. Honestly, it’s that good.
The plot follows (mostly) the usual contrivances and devices of the Commedia dell’Arte stories of the 1700s. Two brothers, the wise and suave Tonino (Nick Haverson) and the simple but loveable Zanetto (again, Haverson, with his beret at a different angle) arrive by chance in the same town, each unaware of the other. Zanetto’s intended wife, Rosaura (Rachel Donovan) is as mightily confused as Tonino’s lover, Beatrice (Caitlin Mottram.) They, along with the township are thrown into bewildering, hilarious chaos, in a high-octane farce of mistaken identity.
Goldoni’s farce nods to early Greek comedies, as well as the devices favoured by some lesser Shakespeare plays. It’s a classic Commedia offering, with all the stock types present and correct. Ranjit Bolt’s zippy translation, however, raises the stakes, and blasts along at lightning speed. Aside from the unusual tragicomic deaths in the prefinal stages, this is everything you could hope for in a lovingly rendered farce.
Hunter’s production is a joy to behold. Stripped back to reveal the bare walls and floor, and delighting in showing the audience the mechanics of both plot and creative means, this is an unusual sight in a regional British theatre in 2008. Sound effects and music are created (by the cast) live on stage, and the play is all the better for it.
Paul’s work with Told By An Idiot and Kneehigh pulsates through this lively production, and he doesn’t miss a trick. The sheer energy, and surplus of ideas are exhilarating. To be more specific would be to spoil some choice surprises, but on the night I attended, several scenes warranted their own applause.
The cast offer ensemble playing of the highest order. Haverson in the dual role of the twins is breathtakingly good; Donovan’s feisty, pouty blonde is hilariously vain; Joanna Holden is an adorable clown, and James Traherne channels The Simpsons’ Montgomery Burns. Everyone has a chance to sparkle, and the enjoyment on stage is palpable.
A triumph, then! Take the kids, take the grand-parents, take the sulky teenage nieces and nephews who “don’t like theatre.” This is joyous, fizzy, accessible comedy that we’re lucky to have in the Northwest right now.
Within the current doom and gloom of the credit crunch, this play is a real tonic.
So if you love to laugh, The Venetian Twins is unmissable!
-Matthew Nichols