Onwards to my next show and it’s Missing Cat Theatre Company's version of the well-known classic which I take the opportunity to see: Georg Buchner’s Woyzeck. I entered having never seen or read Woyzeck but knowing from the frequency of productions here at the Edinburgh Fringe that it’s a significant theatrical work which I should experience. On leaving at the end though I’m still none the wiser as to what it is about.
I hope it’s not me being dense in not understanding some of these shows but I think with this one I can put my finger on where the problems lie. In the first instance Woyzeck was never completed by Georg Buchner so a range of artistic interpretations have been allowed. In this one a normally significant cast list has been wittled down to three with the undoubtedly talented actors taking on multiple roles but too many for an audience to keep track of. As a result it’s never clear which character is speaking or to whom. On top of this, the needs of a Fringe festival require significant editing which leaves this version unintelligible to one uninitiated in the play. The actors knew what they were about and went about that with vigour. Unfortunately a clear telling of the story never cut through.
I will give some credit to this team though that there was some considerable effort in design ideas with a creative use of live sound through a loop machine created onstage. There are some great ideas coming through from a talented group but unfortunately this production didn’t communicate as a whole piece.
Reviewer - Karl Barnsley
on - 15/8/19
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