A co-production with The Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, and The New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, Cirencester's Barn Theatre have created a filmed adaptation - script by Henry Filloux-Bennett - of Jonathan Coe's award-winning political satire 'What A Carve Up!".
Directed by Tamara Harvey and featuring several very well-known thespians among the cast (voices of Derek Jacobi and Stephen Fry for instance), this film is a satirical mockumentary on the state of the country, not just in the present circumstance (although the film's ending is prescient and totally sums-up the nation's thoughts) but the way a (read 'our') government is manipulated by those with money and power, and how that manipulation is, in turn, wrought down upon the hoi polloi.
Of course, all that is in the form of allegory; and instead of a political rant, we are presented with a murder mystery; and not just one murder either.. but five.. all in one day, in one house, by the same person: and the victims are all from the same family, the one family who have mafia-like control over the country's government.
Alfred Enoch plays the son of prime suspect in the murders, Raymond Owen, who was employed by the family as their official biographer. Whilst the only other two people to appear live in the film (as opposeed to voice overs) were Tamzin Outhwaite as a TV Interviewer and her interviewee, the only surviving member of the family, Josephine, played by Fiona Britten.
Since this was directed and produced under lockdown situation in the UK, the production values are exceptional and are maintained throughout, and although it would have been preferable to have had a larger cast and had more live footage, what was presented was intelligently and sympathetically researched and professionally produced. Pseudo archive footage, photographs, memorabilia, reportage, police interviews, flashbacks, were all given minute attention to detail, and all seemed authentic, despite us knowing from the start that this was not a real case; and rather than a play, the whole was filmed in a mix of documentary styles ranging from a YouTube-style forum documentary, via a TV interview, to a Crime Watch style recontsruction documentary.
The overriding consideration however for this style of entertainment delivered in this medium was that it was too long. On stage, or made into a film proper, there would have been much more to engage in and sustain interest; here however, the format became tired and the audience was bored after a while. And whilst those who know the novel from which this film was based might not have expected a comedy; I don't know the novel, but I DO however know the 1961 British comedy horror film of the same name mentioned in this script, and was therefore expecting this production to be far more comedic or avant-garde than it was. Actually it wasn't comedic in any sense to tell the truth, satire yes, clever certainly, and food for thought of course; but it failed to raise even the slightest titter sadly... and with such a title that expectation is there.
Reviewer - Chris Benchley
on - 31/10/20
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