THE ALCHEMIST at the Mathematical Institute Oxford University

★★★★

“Director Anna Tolputt has successfully transformed this 17th century drama into an immediate and accessible theatrical experience that is great fun for the audience”

There are a few benefits to reviewing plays but having money chucked at you by the performers (as happened to your reviewer tonight) isn’t usually one of them. The stage cash was returned and although I can’t guarantee this exact kind of audience participation if you go along to see Creation Theatre’s take on The Alchemist, I can promise an enjoyable evening with plenty of audience engagement with an enthusiastic and committed cast. And you may even be asked to take custody of an inflatable doll.

A maths institute common room becomes a swanky penthouse (designer Delphine Du Barry) and a view of the dreaming spires stands in for London in this pacey updating of Ben Jonson’s most popular comedy which gleefully and timelessly satirises human greed and fallibility. The play was first performed in 1610, not far from its current venue. At that time the Puritans and the Plague were clamping down on dangerous pleasures like theatre and Oxford academics were banned from attending – but even so it was a hit. It has continued to be regularly performed since late Victorian times. Some historical aspects, such as Jonson’s very understandable critique of the Puritans, may have been lost in this particular translation, but his zest for progressively more manic comedy shines in a smart update in which the Black Death is replaced by a more contemporary pandemic.

Make no mistake, this is a wordy play which keeps up its fairly hectic pace throughout the evening. Jonson follows the classical convention of unity in action, time and place, giving the piece a sharp focus. Sometimes unfamiliar words flow rapidly. It’s language with a feisty and raw quality quite unlike the lyrical beauty of familiar speeches by Jonson’s contemporary and rival William Shakespeare.

Creation Theatre are renowned for their original performances of classic theatre in unusual locations. Director Anna Tolputt has successfully transformed this 17th century drama into an immediate and accessible theatrical experience that is great fun for the audience. A talented ensemble consisting of Herb Cuanalo, Clive Duncan, Nicholas Osmond, Claire Redcliffe and Emily Woodward each take on three or more roles, with Cuanalo, Osmond and Woodward making up a tight knit trio of quick changing con artists that gleefully gull victims played by the talented Clive Duncan and Claire Redcliffe.

THE ALCHEMIST at the Mathematical Institute Oxford University

Reviewed on 13th October 2023

by David Woodward

Photography by Les Gordon

The Alchemist will play in London from 27 – 29 October at V.O Gallery, W1S, Click on image below for further details

“the problems in the script are predominantly carried by a strong, committed cast.”

Tableaux of war open the world premier of Robert Graves’ 1929 play, ‘But It Still Goes On’. This is a “post-catastrophic comedy” that mixes farce with tragedy and discusses post war disillusionment, creative jealousy and repressed homosexuality, amidst a tangled web of lovers and a gun that follows them all through the play.

The cast is strong across the board. Alan Cox is sharply witty, wicked and playful as Dick, stuck in the shadow of his blundering father’s (Jack Claff) literary achievements. The character is written a little too flippantly, making it more difficult to engage with Dick on an emotional level but to Caves’ credit he still carries the performance.

The most affecting scene of the play, is the beautiful moment between David and Charlotte, played movingly, respectively by Victor Gardener and Sophie Ward, as both confess, with a quiet resignation, their repressed sexualities and make plans to “normalise” themselves through marriage. It is a deeply sad indictment of the times and their fates are equally tragic, the product of a homophobic society and the necessity to conform.

There is a tendency towards melodrama, particularly in the latter portion of the play, again a product of the writing rather than the acting. The lurking figure of war feels unnecessarily symbolic, given that the text discusses this at such length, and it is a sometime jarring addition to an overly busy stage.

The set is uninspiring, a white marquee edging the stage which is punctuated by clumsy and bland pieces of furniture. The costumes, on the other hand, are beautifully put together, eveningwear and tennis outfits alike, showcasing costume designer Lindsay Hill’s clear eye for detail and quality.

An entertaining evening that discusses sexuality and post-war feeling in time for the centenary of the First World War, the problems in the script are predominantly carried by a strong, committed cast.

Reviewed by Amelia Brown

Photography by Scott Rylander

Tag Archives: Claire Redcliffe

The Alchemist

★★★★

Mathematical Institute Oxford University

THE ALCHEMIST at the Mathematical Institute Oxford University

★★★★

“Director Anna Tolputt has successfully transformed this 17th century drama into an immediate and accessible theatrical experience that is great fun for the audience”

THE ALCHEMIST at the Mathematical Institute Oxford University

Reviewed on 13th October 2023

by David Woodward

Photography by Les Gordon

The Alchemist will play in London from 27 – 29 October at V.O Gallery, W1S, Click on image below for further details

More From This Reviewer:

Alone Together | ★★★★ | Theatre Royal Windsor | August 2023

Henry I | ★★★★★ | Reading Abbey Ruins | June 2023

Mansfield Park | ★★★★ | Watermill Theatre Newbury | June 2023

Hedda Gabler | ★★★★★ | Reading Rep Theatre | February 2023

Cybil Service | ★★★★ | VAULT Festival 2023 | January 2023

The Alchemist

The Alchemist

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But it Still Goes on – 4 Stars

But it Still Goes on

Finborough Theatre

Reviewed – 13th July 2018

★★★★

“the problems in the script are predominantly carried by a strong, committed cast.”

The set is uninspiring, a white marquee edging the stage which is punctuated by clumsy and bland pieces of furniture. The costumes, on the other hand, are beautifully put together, eveningwear and tennis outfits alike, showcasing costume designer Lindsay Hill’s clear eye for detail and quality.

An entertaining evening that discusses sexuality and post-war feeling in time for the centenary of the First World War, the problems in the script are predominantly carried by a strong, committed cast.

Reviewed by Amelia Brown

Photography by Scott Rylander

But it Still Goes on

Finborough Theatre until 4th August

Click here to see more of our latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com