The coronavirus lockdown has been and still continues to be a very trying time for many, none more so than theatre creatives, and more and more companies and individuals have found their way to the medium of transmitting productions online, through the computer. One of the latest companies to bring themsleves to this way of thinking is the Grennwich Theatre in London, and have produced their own lockdown version of Steven Berkoff's, "The Secret Love Life Of Ophelia".
Instead of the play being a simple two-hander, Greenwich Theatre have a cast of 40! 39 different young aspiring actors and actresses of all ethnicities are brought forward to play the roles of Hamlet and Ophelia, whilst veteran (dare I call her that?) superstar, Dame Helen Mirren closes the play with a short speech by Ophelia's mother, the Queen Gertrude. And instead of the cast reading letters, they are sending video messages, meaning that not only does this immediately update the play to our present time, but it also makes it much easier for the actor/esses to record their speeches from their own homes whilst still in isolation. Ingenious!
The play tries to fill in the gaps in the romance of Hamlet and Ophelia which Shakespeare left out, thus trying to make, through this play, a more understandable and realistic backstory to how and why Ophelia and Hamlet fell in love and how their romance blossomed as an undercurrent to the Shakespearean narrative. It's a nice idea, and it does indeed offer a new perspective on one of classical literature's more famous couples. The video messages progress from shy and deferential courtship to confessions of love and lust.
A premise is set up that Ophelia's body was found floating in the river, her mobile phone very wet and damaged, but forensics were able to recover and restore the video messages as much as possible. We then watch all 39 messages one after the other going back and forth between Ophelia and Hamlet in sequence. Sadly the format was both predictable and boring. I am uncertain how different the format would be on stage, but certainly there would be more in the way of set and movement one imagines. Here, due to the nature of it all I found it very static, and found myself losing concentration before half-way through. Also, despite it being hugely laudable to give so many young up-coming local performers a chance to recite one of these monologues, there was no character continuity or development in the accepted sence as each one brought something new to the characterisations and so there was no consistency.
Another criticism I would level at this piece, would be at the writer and the language used. Surely if we are to accept an updating to mobile phone video messages, then we can also listen to modern day speech and language. The quasi-Elizabethan verbiology of the text was odd.(in fact it was much more like early Victorian speech). It was obviously not Shakespearean nor was it in iambic pentameter, and yet it was not modern either... This didn't feel right at all, and didn't work.
All 39 actor/ esses are worthy of praise. Obviously I did have my personal favourites but can't name then since despite there being a cast list, I couldn't put name to face. However, the jewel in the crown (if you'll forgive the obvious monarchy-pun), was Mirren's cameo at the very end. Directed by James Haddrell it was rather bitty and insubstantial, but much of that is the fault of the play itself, as well as the choice of medium of performance.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 15/8/20
No comments:
Post a Comment