King Lear,
Guildford Shakespeare Company
The Lies of
Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch
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It is
impossible to treat this production of King Lear just like any other
review. The Guildford Shakespeare Company is a decent provincial
theatre, who are just about professional and tend to use public spaces for
their productions. Brian Blessed has been a star of stage and screen for over
40 years and is one of the country’s most familiar celebrities. This
Lear is not at the National but at Holy Trinity Church at the top of the High
Street. It’s a bit like Stephen Gerrard turning out for Godalming FC.
The hype around this star dominated production only increased when Blessed
collapsed on the opening night, returning after a cup of tea to complete the
role. This did add some spice for the audience; every time Blessed gasped or
fell to the floor, reeling from the insult of his daughters, we all held our
breath in case it was a return of his heart murmur! Ironically it was a
member of the audience who was carried out when we there, and Blessed asked
at the end if they were OK. So, I
don’t think you can review all the elements together. Looking at the
company first, this was a large cast by GSC standards, and it showed. While
some of the familiar actors put in very competent performances (Matt Pinches
as Edgar, and Ben Ashton as Edward) and some very good performances (the
daughters) some of the smaller characters were clearly at the start of their careers.
Blessed’s daughter Rosalind was a
spectacularly bitchy Goneril and at times could
shriek as loud as her father. She and Sarah Gobran
were utterly convincing as the wrathful sisters, grabbing their inheritance
with greedy lust. The staging was more questionable. This is the third of
their productions we have seen in this Church, and this one worked least
well. The audience were facing the alter, but there
was an elaborate tent on the left hand side to make an extra room, which
meant the main playing space was cramped. Scene transitions were
distinctly clunky though it was early days when we saw it, so this may
improve. So what of out
star? It took time to get into Blessed’s
portrayal. Having seen Russell Beale’s Lear twice last year, this was
so different. Beal’s Lear was a cold, often dispassionate anger and
bitterness at his treatment, but Blessed’s
Lear relapses to childhood, singing musing and playing. Most often he is soft,
warm and human with just the occasional outburst from that colossal voice. Blessed’s Lear is human, real and recognisable; a
confused old man who doesn’t understand what has happened and how he
got to be where he was. Full of compassion to those who remain with him he
was a broken and despairing father rather than a tyrant.
The storm scene in particular was, I thought rather more successful
than the National production, with great lights and sound and superbly
choreographed action as Poor Tom appears. Overall I think a highly competent
production but quite a special one for Brian Blessed. The Lies of Locke Lamora - regular readers will instantly
recognise that I have been reading Matthew’s books again. It is a
decent story, and I liked that the main character is useless in a fight. His
only purpose in a brawl is to beaten up and at the end as he battles the baddie character with a sword the Grey
King stops, looks him up and down and say “You’re not very good
at this are you?” What Locke Lemora does is
con people. Actually, con rich people. He doesn’t go the full Robin
Hood as he neglects to give his proceeds to the poor – though he and
his gang don’t bother to spend it either. He just accumulates money for,
well not the fun of it, it is just what they do. Trained from childhood by a
dissolute priest, Locke has been educated in what he is not – to be a
sophisticated, rich noble. He has learned gourmet cookery, a host of
languages, fashion, etiquette and joined the
priesthoods of all the competing deities. In a single day he appears to his
victim as a rich merchant from a foreign land and later as a member of the
state Nightwatch. He even cons the mafia boss he is
supposed to work for – who knows nothing of his grandiose schemes. Happily after
the first 50 odd pages, the unexpected keeps happening. Just when you are
confident you know what is happening, the opposite occurs. The shocks and
surprises come thick and fast and until the overly sentimentalised final
chapter, I thought this was a great story. However, it
occurs to me that while I want a good story, the writer of a fantasy book
probably lavishes most of their love and attention on creating their world
– Gaie, you might like to correct me here!
The city is carefully described and although there are no maps, I am sure
Scott Lynch has plenty. And yet from my point of view, the story is set in
generic Fantasy Land. It has a port (harbour, ships) with a very wealthy
elite, some merchants from a wide variety of countries and lots of very poor
workers. Crime is organised, but brothels (all staffed by tarts with hearts)
are independently owned and run by women. Men drink and play cards when not
fighting, while women….. only exist as females
occupying male roles ie female fighters, female
criminals, female aristocrats or tarts with hearts. There are a variety of
religious cults, all of which are respected by the people at least in terms
of politeness. Violence is widespread and policing inadequate or laughable.
Oh, magic. Not a great deal, but ‘alchemical’ globes provide
light or other small marvels to help things run smoothly. And finally there
are also mysterious artefacts or buildings left behind by a mysterious
previous race. I think the
above describes the world nearly every fantasy book I have ever read has been
set in. I really don’t
mind, but I do wonder how this Fantasy/medieval world was arrived at. Why has
this become the generic fantasy world? |
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Blog #22 |
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would like to comment on any of these Blog pieces please email me on: bjc@briancreese.co.uk