Under the Black Flag

Synopsis

Under the Black Flag is set around the historical pirate republic of Rabat, following the execution of Charles I and the installation of Cromwell and the new Commonwealth. This wild tale of high seas and low politics exposes the class hatreds and religious hypocrisy of the 17th century as John Silver and his motley crew of disaffected radicals seek freedom on the seas, under a pirate flag. The production features bare flesh and filthy language.

Our Review:

19 July 2006

Long John Silver, the piratical villain of Treasure Island, was a fictional character based by Robert Louis Stevenson on his one-legged literary sidekick in Edinburgh, William Henley. For his enthralling new play, the first presented in Dominic Dromgoole’s regime at the Globe, Simon Bent has imagined an early life for Silver, long before he led his motley crew of buccaneers on the Hispaniola in search of Captain Flint’s booty.

So, there are no cries of “Jim, lad” or squawks from a parrot or even choruses of “Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.” There are, however, a series of fairly rousing choruses composed by Orlando Gough, the first of which welcomes the joyful day of King Charles I’s execution – the first scene of the play – with a cry of “freedom”… and more beer. There follows an exhortation by Silver’s father Ebenezer (Howard Ward) to remove trousers, which he promptly does, to the audience’s delight.

The outline of Bent’s play, which stretches over five bo...

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Latest User Review

82.43.197.100) - 10 August 2006:

I thought this was poor. The actors equipped themselves well and managed to stay focused despite the number of people leaving and within this, there's probably a decent 2 hour play desperate to get out but all sense of drama is swiftly drained by dialogue that lags. It makes you realise just how good Shakespeare is!...

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