Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Chichester Festival Theatre (now at the Haymarket), June 2011

To the question of whether, if God is good and omnipotent why does evil exist, the answer is free will. But is free will illusory? As Guildenstern says, ‘… if we happened, just happened to discover, or even suspect, that our spontaneity was part of their order, we’d know that we were lost’. Indeed they are lost. Opportunities arise, but they see themselves as small players in a bigger drama they don’t understand, unable to influence larger events. On the ship to England, they could destroy the letter they accidentally open, yet they don’t, not even to save Hamlet’s life. These minor characters from Shakespeare are twin axes around which Tom Stoppard’s thought-provoking play turns, and they were superbly played by Samuel Barnett and Jamie Parker — or was it the other way round?

Jamie Parker as Guildenstern and Samuel Barnett as Rosencrantz, all photos by Catherine Ashmore

The play itself is riveting, philosophical, and very funny. I love the coin tossing at the start, with 92 heads in a row. ‘Consider: One, probability is a factor which operates within natural forces. Two, probability is not operating as a factor. Three, we are now held within un‑, sub- or super-natural forces. Discuss’. Thus speaks Jamie Parker’s articulate Guildenstern. Samuel Barnett’s thoughtful Rosencrantz is also no slouch with his, ‘Whatever became of the moment when one first knew about death? … I can’t remember it. It never occurred to me at all. We must be born with an intuition of mortality’. Yet both of these spontaneously ready fellows articulate a sort of nonsense, counterbalancing the apparent nonsense spoken by Hamlet, which they try to explain, ‘I think I have it. A man talking sense to himself is no madder than a man talking nonsense not to himself/ Or just as mad/ Or just as mad/ And he does both/ So there you are/ Stark raving sane’. Their subject, Hamlet, is nobly portrayed by Jack Hawkins, effortlessly reaching heights of free will to which Rosencrantz and Guildenstern cannot aspire.

Stoppard’s play is clever and intellectual, but above all it’s wonderful theatre. The players, led by Chris Andrew Mellon, who has replaced Tim Curry, give a hyper-theatrical contrast to the confused quasi-intellectualism of the two main characters, and Mellon himself is superbly quick and ready in his responses.

R and G on board the ship

A friend said she’d love to see this Stoppard play again and take her teenage son, who’s never seen Hamlet. Quite right — you don’t need to know Hamlet to appreciate this quick-witted theatre, beautifully brought to life in Trevor Nunn’s production, well aided by Tim Mitchell’s lighting. Scene changes take place invisibly, right under our noses, and I loved the spot-lights on the faces of R and G just before and just after the interval. There was a perfection about this entire staging, with Simon Higlett’s clever but simple designs, and Fotini Dimou’s excellent costumes. Not to be missed.

Performances at Chichester continue until June 11 — for more details click here. This production then transfers to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End, with previews starting on June 16.

Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, Globe Theatre, London, July 2010

With an audience on three sides of the stage, plus the casual openness of the standing area, Roger Allam was well placed to give us a wonderful interpretation of Falstaff. His contact with the audience was inspired, and they loved him, yet there was nothing over the top in his shrewd levity, ever ready to recover from the jibes and rejections of others.

Falstaff with Mistress Quickly and Bardolph, photo by John Haynes

Apart from Falstaff, these plays have no central character given to introspective soliloquies, so it is more the case of one actor playing off another, and many of the cast did this well, performing more than one role. William Gaunt and Christopher Godwin were amusing as the old duo Shallow and Silence in Part 2, while having been far more direct and vigorous as Worcester and Northumberland, and I liked Paul Rider both as Bardolph, and in his vignette as the Archbishop of York. Jade Williams as Doll Tearsheet in Part 2 showed an engaging weakness for Falstaff, throwing up most convincingly on the front corner of the stage and surprising the audience packed around there, a far cry from her refined Lady Mortimer. Barbara Marten played Lady Northumberland, as well as being a suitably indignant tavern hostess as Mistress Quickly, with her husband sitting upstairs smoking a pipe — a nice touch.

Prince Hal with Falstaff, photo by John Haynes

Oliver Cotton played the King as a serious monarch, betrayed by the rebellious vanities of others, but the principal rebel, Harry Hotspur showed a spluttering anger that failed to allow even a half-second pause in the expression of his fury. Sam Crane’s portrayal of this hothead could have used more nuance, and his re-appearance as Pistol in Part 2 had a clownish quality that seemed unsuited to this production. But Jamie Parker as Prince Hal showed nuance aplenty in his fine portrayal of youthful high spirits edged by an understanding of his future as king. Here is an actor — one of the original cast for The History Boys — who can be suitably immature as Prince Hal, yet bring into Part 2 elements of the future Henry V who will inspire and lead his army at the Battle of Agincourt. I look forward to his future portrayal of that role!

Prince Hal replaces the crown, photo by John Haynes

What makes Part 1 work so well is the brilliance of Falstaff and Prince Hal. Of course Hal is not seen much in Part 2, until he takes the crown from his father’s pillow near the end, so there isn’t quite the same energy in the second part, but Roger Allam was gloriously endearing as Falstaff — one could not imagine a better portrayal. These productions by Dominic Dromgoole give a fine understanding of the plays and are a delight to watch. I loved the convincing grubbiness of the costumes for the ordinary folk, as well as of the military vests for the nobles, and the crests hanging round the seating areas add to the authenticity. With the mummers at the beginning, starting outside the auditorium and taking their mime inside, a wonderful sense of occasion is given to these performances, and at £5 for a standing ticket in the pit there is no excuse for missing them. Six hours of Shakespeare with nary a dull moment.

Parts 1 and 2 of Henry IV continue until October 2^nd and October 3^rd respectively — for more details click here.