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Synopsis Thomas Malory's Morte D'Arthur tells 'of the matter of England'. Written during the violent years of the Wars of the Roses, it reflects its time. The story of King Arthur's attempt to unite his country, blends myth and magic, from the sword in the stone to the establishment of the Round Table and the quest for the Holy Grail. It traces the adultery of Lancelot and Guinevere, and ultimately the death of the 'once and future king'. It is an often surprising and unexpected version of the familiar story, and the first great telling of the cycle in the English language.
Having been so enthusiastic about the most recent Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of a classic story (the wonderful Arabian Nights from last Christmas), I arrived in Stratford with high hopes for their latest venture – Mike Poulton’s version of Mallory’s Morte d'Arthur. Being a sucker for all things Arthurian, I was eager to see what they had shaped from the somewhat sprawling tales of the original.
There is no doubting that director Gregory Doran and his creative team have lavished much care and attention on the production. It features handsome costumes, effective music and a stunning lighting design by Tim Mitchell.
However, at three hours and 45 minutes, it’s a production massively in need of cuts. There is no denying that the tales of Arthur and his Knights have been slimmed down to work as a piece of theatre, but the current run-time remains excessive. Split into three sections, we’re treated to an hour of over-earnest exposition in the first section ‘The Fellowship of the Round Table’, plenty of action and humour in the middle ‘Adventures of the Sangrail’ and a rather over-extended finale surrounding the final battles of ‘The Morte d’Arthur’.
The influence of the original on many subsequent authors – from Shakespeare to Tolkein – is very clear, and the production brings home the epic nature of the myths and does not shy away from the heavily Christian imagery so beloved of Mallory. However, what we gain from the epic, we lose from the human. Guenever fails to register as a credible character, and without a real sense of the relationships she has with the men in her life, the subsequent conflict is difficult to comprehend.
Everyone in the ensemble acquits themselves with credit – with some fine performances notably from Dyfan Dwyfor (Percival/Lavaine) and Gruffud Glyn (Gareth), both of whom shine in their various roles. Forbes Masson brings just a hint of Billy Connolly to his warm portrayal of Merlin (pity his character disappears forever under a pile of rocks at the end of the first section) and Noma Dumezweni relishes her moments as Morgan Le Fay.
Still, the characterisation is not as defined as it might be for absolute narrative clarity, and consequently engagement in the action is limited.
Poulton and Doran should look again at the pacing and structure of the piece – particularly in the first and third sections. The loss of half an hour wouldn’t be unreasonable and would provide them with a much more sustainable addition to the repertoire. A valiant effort at redefining an unwieldy original, but there is still work to be done to tame this particular beast.
Saw this production yesterday and it was simply fantastic from start to finish - which came a lot sooner than I expected given the comment that it would run for 3 hours 45 mins. I was held throughout and thought the staging brilliant. Well done RSC - Kathryn
11 Jul 10
4 of us went and came out gasping for breath at how overwhelming it was, one of the best productions Ive seen in recent times at Stratford. Long, yes, but utterly gripping. - Simon - Simon Dewsbury
11 Jul 10
I was very disappointed. A lot of effort had clearly gone into the production, but the material was too unwieldy to hold together. I knew it would be difficult to adapt Mallory for the stage, but this script didn't work at all. - carol mulholland
09 Jul 10
The fight scenes were poor - with people dying from sword blows two metres from their bodies. Arthur was weak and a bit annoying. He lacked the stage presence and authority to make a convincing king. There was very little cahracter development and the play did seem to drag on. However there were redeeming qualities. Morgan Le Fay and Merlin were well acted and interesting, though it was a shame they both disappeared lateron in the play. Gareth also provided some much needed comic relief and proved to be one of the most likable characters. Still it was an interesting adaptation, despite its flaws, with enough good moments to make it enjoyable. - Catrin
03 Jul 10
Loved it! Superbly done. Don't be put off by some of the reviews. Yes it is long but it kept me gripped for the whole. The ensemble triumph again. - Malcolm Lacey
30 Jun 10
The actors were uncomfortable, the staging and lighting more befitting a school production. The costumes- pedestrian. The adaptation less than intelligent, disjointed and labourious. Not even creative choreography for the sword fights - a percussionist providing steel on steel oh please! and dont get me started on the so called dragon, or the lack of interplay between characters all of whom were so shallow as to be non entities! No I really didn;t like it, what a ad swaste of a lovely summer's evening - Daisy R M
29 Jun 10
I agree that the piece was way to long and I would also say that the man next to me yawning from half way through the second act unitl the end would say so too. - addie
21 Jun 10
Despite being long we were never bored. It could be cut, and some of it was difficult to follow. We greatly enjoyed it, and considered it an ambitious but successful performance - Pamela
Southern Lane Stratford-Upon-Avon Warwickshire CV37 6BH
Telephone
0870 6091110
Station
Description
1000 seat theatre. A temporary theatre that will be home to the RSC s main ensemble during the transformation of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Built as an extention to The Other Place. The building to be completed in time of the Complete Works Shakesespeare Festival.
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