September 9, 2009
The Walworth Farce follows a disturbed man and his two sons, caught in a cycle of enacting a play about two families fighting over the wills of their deceased loved ones by concocting lies to their own family and different lies to the other family in order to maintain the original lies while all the while switching in and out of the characters they are playing, who turn out to be themselves. Confused? You will be. But then miraculously, if you keep focused, it will all become clear and resolve itself into what was one of the cleverest plays I have ever seen. This is not a play for everyone; you can’t just sit back and expect entertainment to wash over you. But if you lean forward and pay attention you will certainly be rewarded with a truly unique and compelling experience. This play is a must for anyone who likes the fine ports and smelly cheeses of theatre, and the world tour it is about to embark on confirms its high standard.
The Walworth Farce is a strange mix of slapstick humour, funny one-liners and seriously dark goings on. The blend is at times uncomfortable, and for at least the first twenty minutes you’re not quite sure if you ‘ought’ to be laughing or not. But as the mood of the play grows on you, the jokes become fewer but perfectly placed. They dent, but rarely break, the tension. I hate the term ‘dark comedy’, but it is kind of applicable here. By and large I would not say that The Walworth Farce is truly a comedy; rather it uses comedy in an interesting and effective way.
The acting, like the humour, left me unsure at the start but thoroughly convinced by the end. This is in large part a play within a play, and actors acting bad actors has not only been done, it’s also never impressive. But when the play characters start leaking into the real ones, and the insanity starts to grow… that is where the professional acting skill shines through.
Most impressive however were the blindingly fast character changes, which were demanding on the audience and ridiculous for the actors. The play has between ten and thirteen characters, depending how you count them, and only four actors. Over half the characters might be on stage at any one time, and so props must be flung on and off with abandon if the audience is to keep up. Amazingly, fantastically, it’s all done very well indeed.
For those who can handle its darkness and heavy demands, The Walworth Farce is not to be missed.
The Walworth Farce is a strange mix of slapstick humour, funny one-liners and seriously dark goings on. The blend is at times uncomfortable, and for at least the first twenty minutes you’re not quite sure if you ‘ought’ to be laughing or not. But as the mood of the play grows on you, the jokes become fewer but perfectly placed. They dent, but rarely break, the tension. I hate the term ‘dark comedy’, but it is kind of applicable here. By and large I would not say that The Walworth Farce is truly a comedy; rather it uses comedy in an interesting and effective way.
The acting, like the humour, left me unsure at the start but thoroughly convinced by the end. This is in large part a play within a play, and actors acting bad actors has not only been done, it’s also never impressive. But when the play characters start leaking into the real ones, and the insanity starts to grow… that is where the professional acting skill shines through.
Most impressive however were the blindingly fast character changes, which were demanding on the audience and ridiculous for the actors. The play has between ten and thirteen characters, depending how you count them, and only four actors. Over half the characters might be on stage at any one time, and so props must be flung on and off with abandon if the audience is to keep up. Amazingly, fantastically, it’s all done very well indeed.
For those who can handle its darkness and heavy demands, The Walworth Farce is not to be missed.