|
|
 |
| |
The bitter-sweet realities between mice and men
OF MICE AND MEN
Upstairs at The Gatehouse
BACK in the depression era 1930s John Steinbeck held up a
mirror to the land of the free, with his seminal play about
two itinerant ranchhands planning to get out and “live
off the fatta the land”.
But, as Robert Burns said, the best-laid schemes of mice
and men often don’t add up to a hill of beans.
When Steinbeck’s two unlikely characters – George
and his mentally retarded cousin Lennie – finally come
close to realising their dream of their own farm, one ends up
putting a bullet in the other’s head.
Just as they have found work in California’s Salinas Valley
at the height of the Depression, gentle giant Lennie’s
immense physical strength and love of soft things has fatal
consequences for rancher boss son Curley’s flirtatious
wife who had her own American dream of “being in the pictures”.
Fer’vent Theatre’s production – transferring
to Highgate after a successful run at Lewisham’s Broadway
Studio – is a new adaptation of Steinbeck’s acclaimed
stage play, incorporating elements of his original novella.
While these elements may not be obvious, Director Mike Bernadin
manages to evoke the mythical dimensions and bitter-sweet realities
of Steinbeck’s account of friendship and working-class
life, mainly through his imaginative use of songs, banjo-playing,
straw, bunk beds and even a fake dog.
And he has pulled together a stellar cast who have paid their
dues – in repertory theatre and on screen. Jason Ramsay
– who impresses as black outcast ranchhand Crooks –
even appeared in Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet, and Emma Barnett
– endearingly naïve as Curley’s wife – was
Emily in The Brontë Sisters.
All walked the walk and talked the talk – so credibly that
within minutes you stopped wondering if their American accents
were natural.
While David Horton (George) compellingly portrays a man torn
between loyalty towards a friend and his own and society’s
demands, Ian Gofton’s George radiates helplessness, love
and also a tinge of danger with every awkward move and stammer.
This is a truly riveting experience, showing why the American
dream held and still holds its sway.
Until February 18
020 8340 3488
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
