The Comedy of Errors

Synopsis

Sets of twins, hilarious storytelling and wonderful humanity in the Bard's comic masterpiece and shortest play. Naturally, there are two cases of mistaken identity to deal with in this tale of 24 hours in the life of two sets of twins.

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194.75.129.200) - 29 October 2005:

Given the comical confusion inherent in a tale containing two sets of identical twins, and the general unlikelihood of its story, it is unsurprising that The Comedy of Errors is often played as a pure farce (although I have seen one very good production of it as a "straight" comedy). In this latest RSC version, director Nancy Meckler takes neither of these options, instead creating a carnival-like atmosphere so enchanting that any thought of having to suspend our disbelief (willingly or otherwise) vanishes from our minds. Performed amidst a simple set of which the principal component is a white tattered sail, with costumes in a pseudo-Victorian style and accompanied by a score played on stage by a small band of musicians, the production is a complete delight. Whilst it is full of fine comic performances in major and minor roles alike, one reason for its success is that it shows the genuine suffering beneath the humour. For example Aegeon, the father of the Antipholuses (Antipholi?), will be executed in Ephesus unless he can pay the required ransom. Much more obviously a stranger to the city than the Syracusan Antipholus, with his long straight hair and unusual accent, Aegeon's plight is made a very moving one by Richard Cordery – so much so that the Ephesian Duke, having heard the story of the loss of his family (ingeniously illustrated by a travelling company of puppeteers as he told it), seemed to genuinely pity him, though still saying he must uphold the Ephesian laws. Suzanne Burden, meanwhile, made Adriana, Antipholus of Ephesus's wife, not just a simple shrew but someone who, whilst clearly aware that – and unhappy because - her jealous suspicion is driving her husband away, cannot help showing it. The production's two sets of twins look sufficiently alike for us to believe that the inhabitants of Ephesus – up to and including the resident Antipholus's wife – can easily confuse them but have characters sufficiently different to enable the audience (even those unfamiliar with the play) never to be in any doubt about which is which. Joe Dixon and Christopher Colquhoun, as the Syracusan and Ephesian Antipholi (Antipholuses?), are a dreamy, insecure poetic type and a sophisticated, confident man about town respectively, whilst Jonathan Slinger and Forbes Masson, as their equivalent Dromios, have obviously each ended up with the master who most suits their own temperament! And it is, fittingly, the reunion of these pairs of twins that provides a climax to the performance which is both intriguing and delightful. Finally confronted with each other face to face, the two Dromios respond not with the usual joy but with a faint antigonism that leads them to make 'V' signs at each other rather than shake hands. The happiness is left for the other brothers, who not only embrace enthusiastically but dance off the stage in mirror image, echoing the immortal Eric and Ernie in a wonderful touch to crown the evening. ...

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