Theatre adaptations of 70’s and 80’s TV comedy series have become increasingly popular in recent years, starting with ‘Fawlty Towers’ where most of the action takes place in the hotel foyer and dining rooms. ‘Blackadder the Third’ presented the added challenge of frequent short scenes set in various places with the default locations being the prince’s lounge and the butler’s pantry. This problem of staging was resolved by a split set of the lounge and the pantry with most other scenes created with just a few representational items, requiring the imagination of the audience. This was a wise move because it allowed the play to remain very faithful to the TV episodes.
Perhaps the biggest issue of presenting a stage version of a hugely popular comedy series like Blackadder, Fawlty Tower or Dad’s Army is that the main stars are inextricably linked to the series and comparisons are inevitable, although the job of the actors should be to get to the essence of the characters rather than do impersonations of famous actors. In this regard, Pheonix Theatre did a truly excellent job with the popular main characters, with the costumes looking just right and very identifiable. Michael Unett actually looked like Rowan Atkinson in his black butler outfit and wig but more importantly sounded like him, capturing all the mannerisms from Blackadder’s frequent dry sarcasm to regular burst of anger at the incompetence of those around him. Dain Hobson was well-cast as the foppish Prince George, displaying good comic timing and Daniel Wood was superb as Baldrick, putting his own mark on the character whilst keeping to the essence of Tony Robinson’s interpretation.
A number of the secondary characters deserve special mention; in particular Jen Brassington who superbly captured the style of as the style of Miranda Richardson’s portrayal of Highwayman Amy Hardwood. Barnaby Thomas was great as Pitt the Younger, interacting well with Blackadder (and putting in a good small turn as the loud-mouthed poet Lord Byron). Anna Burke was amusing as coffee shop owner Mrs Miggins and although it was a very small part, Dante Burke was a very memorable Pitt the even Younger.
The comedy of Blackadder the Third (more so than in the other three series) essentially comes from Blackadder’s interactions with the main characters (the Prince and Baldrick) and various guest actors, usually in the form dry, sarcastic comments in the face of loud, bombastic characters. Without the right overacting for the Blackadder to spark off, the comedy fails. In this regard, Paul Thomas was miscast as Dr Johnson, not delivering loud, forceful lines for Blackadder to react to (think how over-facing Robbie Coltrane was in the TV episode). The same was the case with Matthew Sanders as the drunken Sir Talbot Buxomly, whose lines castigating the Prince needed to be delivered loudly and clearly to have real comic effect. In Blackadder, subtle, understated performances just don’t work.
Mark Bailey was good as the ludicrous, over-the-top Ivor Biggun and would have been more suited to playing the pompous Dr Johnson. Overall, Phoenix Theatre gave a faithful rendition of Blackadder the Third with many nice attentions to detail, such as the sumptuous curtain entrance into the Prince’s lounge and Hogarth pictures on the wall (although Vincent Hana’s very 20th century glasses did not work, being so out of period). By and large, the essence of all the main characters were very well brought to the stage and with just a couple of mis-castings. This was a worthy tribute to a classic TV comedy series and an enjoyable night out.
Reviewer - John Waterhouse
On - 24.05.2025
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