Spymonkey’s Moby Dick

I wonder if Herman Melville ever
imagined when writing his master-work that it would be subject to so
many adaptations? They include a stage play directed by Orson Welles,
a film starring Gregory Peck and a rather campy, flop, whale of a
tale musical produced by Cameron Mackintosh. I doubt Melville could
have imagined what Spymonkey would make of his rather weighty tome.

In a
hilarious evening, the hugely talented company of four, skilfully blend
elements of panto, variety, Victorian barnstorming melodrama, mime and
brilliant clowning with more than a nod to Python, Carry On, Keaton and
The Marx Brothers. All these styles are mixed together in a great big
pot of frothy fun. No tangent is knowingly avoided in what is actually
a very disciplined production by director Jos Houben, inventively and
colourfully designed by Lucy Bradridge and Graeme Gilmour.

Confused? You won’t be because the story
is there somewhere, narrated in a dodgy Spanish accent by Ishmael. It is difficult for the cast to regain the first half’s heady momentum after the interval: perhaps because the
audience is so exhausted at already having laughed so much. Why Moby Dick? Because, as one of the characters
tells us, it is on the national curriculum. I am not sure how the young
audience will be able to incorporate what they were watching into a
stuffy exam question but they can have a great deal of fun trying.

Aitor Basauri, Petra Massey,
Stephan Kreiss and Toby Park play dozens of characters with
enormous energy and talent. Along the way they through out conventions
and take a side-swipe at the some of the rather more pretentious and
dreary theatrical adaptations that make it to the stage. No pun is left
ignored, no visual gag left unthrottled and no opportunity for sheer
theatrical opportunism tossed aside.

The whole anarchic evening ends with a
glorious pun and a splendid surprise. For the unbridled fun,
inventiveness and energy of the performers, the top rating is highly
deserved.

– Keith Paterson