Matthew and Christopher visited this weekend and in the evening we wandered out to see The Alchemist by Ben Jonson at the ADC Theatre. The production was fast and furious with an impressive cast with a high stamina, from the Swan Theatre Company.
The flyers say:
‘What? The stone will do it! She shall feel gold, taste gold, hear gold, sleep gold.’
The Swan Theatre Company returns to the ADC, following last term’s sell-out Much Ado About Nothing, with Ben Jonson’s greatest comedy, a lightning-paced farce with a dark underbelly. Jonson’s play, written in 1610 is rarely performed, although has just opened in a major revival at the National Theatre.
Lovewit has fled plague-ridden London, leaving his city house in the charge of Face, a confidence trickster. Pretending that they have found the secret of the legendary philosopher’s stone, and can transform metal into gold, the disguised Face and Subtle (the ‘Alchemist’) improvise trick after trick to draw riches from the pockets of the gullible.
Yet Jonson’s play is much more than a farce—and, as the con goes on, our sympathies sway from conman to victim, as we realise how far these gulls—whether lonely old enthusiast, young first-time shopkeeper, or born-again Christian—all have a need to believe in the good fortune promised them.
This new production will similarly explore the depths of theatricality contained in Jonson’s play—the audience too are to be conned by the actors—as a barrage of slamming doors, small explosions and quicksilver transformations encourage the audience too to give up their doubts and fall under the energetic, seam-bursting spell of Jonson’s finest play.
Forming the central triumvirate of The Alchemist are three members of the company who were, earlier this year, renowned for their performances in the company’s ADC production of Much Ado About Nothing. Vivienne Storry, daughter of RSC Associate Artist Malcolm Storry, played Beatrice (‘Storry made her character utterly believable: wise, wry, yet with a hint of underlying melancholy’—Rachel Fentem, localsecrets.com), and now plays Dol Common, John Lau follows his ‘notable performance’ of Don John by taking on Jonson’s Face, and Alastair Roberts, Much Ado’’s Dogberry, after collaborating with Swan’s director, Robert Icke, this summer to create a ‘superb’ (Northern Echo) Andrew Aguecheek in Robert’s September production of Twelfth Night, which was hailed as innovatively intelligent and startling by the British Theatre Guide.
A tremendously fast-paced energetic play—half farce, half crime-drama – which turns from laughter to horror on a sixpence, a terrific cast and lauded director, a crowd of angry neighbours and one hell of a lot of doors. In short, this new production of The Alchemist is guaranteed solid theatrical gold.
The set was minimalist and we had seats at the front in row B, which meant that we had a superb view along with the heat from the lights and blare from the speakers. The loud music was the only really unlikable part of the production. The actor playing Sir Epicure Mammon was super.
We managed to make it for last orders in the Free Press, then about 11pm, someone in the street kicked the window of the snug in, showering Matthew and I with glass, and covering our coats in jagged shards of glass. Not a great end to the evening. David and Craig gave chase, but the person was long gone. David gave us a free drink to settle our nerves, which was very nice!
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I was quite taken by a tree called a Broussonetia kazinoki which had bizarre orange lumps poking out the fruit. Apparently (from this site):
