James Mack and Mitesh Soni in The Autobiography of a Cad. Photo: Matt Crockett
I always look forward to seeing a play by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, but on this occasion I was disappointed. Their adaptation of The Autobiography of a Cad, a 1930s satire about a self-centred lying politician with a public school background, may have modern parallels but it didn’t seem like a play for today. Fortunately it did feature an outstanding lead performance. Keep watching and I’ll tell you all about it.
Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye and star of Have I Got News For You, and Nick Newman have almost made a speciality of paying homage to past satirists. Wipers Times told of First World War soldiers who mocked their commanders, Spike was a tribute to Spike Milligan and The Goons who sent up the establishment, Trial By Laughter concerned the early 19th century government’s attempt to censor satirist William Hone. All of those, like their new offering, were premiered at The Watermill.
The author of The Autobiography of a Cad, A G MacDonell, was a popular satirist in the 1920s and 30s. All satire is vulnerable to the passing of time and its targets, and he is now almost forgotten. In the case of this book, though, you can see the appeal of revisiting it. It dates from a time when Britain was run by a self-serving corrupt elite who inherited their positions irrespective of ability. You would think that by the twentieth century this had long been replaced by a meritocracy. Except when you realise how many members of the last government came from wealthy backgrounds and had gone through Eton and Oxbridge.
More than that, the subject of this particular story is not simply incompetent or old fashioned, in the way of say Colonel Blimp. The Cad, whose name is Edward Fox-Ingleby, is entitled, self-centred, and misogynistic. He lies his way out of trouble and cheats his way to the top. There’s no explicit nod in the play to any modern self-serving mendacious politician, but you may well be reminded of a few.
James Mack powers the show
Rhiannon Neads and James Mack in The Autobiography of a Cad. Photo: Matt Crockett
The irony of the original ‘autobiography’ speaks for itself but, for dramatic purposes, this play puts the Cad in the process of writing it. This task inevitably involves rewriting history, which two assistants question and challenge with a mixture of bemusement and contempt.
Fox relives moments from his life in which he encounters various friends, colleagues and lovers, and proceeds to stab them in the back. He moves through his boorish misbehaviour as a student, to his mistreatment of the staff on his estate, to avoiding front line fighting in the First World War, to pursuing a political career, all the while carrying on affairs.
James Mack is a regular at The Watermill and always good value. His wide smile with even white teeth makes him perfect for this role as a Teflon politician. He exudes a smarmy charm, while conjuring wide-eyed panic when he thinks he’s been caught out. His bravura performance powers the show.
Two actors take on all the other characters. Rhiannon Neads flits from the shocked assistant Miss Appleby to the snarling ghost of Granny Ingleby to sundry girlfriends and wives, while Mitesh Soni is the sneering assistant Mr Collins, the downtrodden farm worker Williams and many powerful but naive men.
Designer Ceci Calf‘s set uses wood panelling and oil-painted portraits to suggest appropriately a Gentlemen’s Club, while cleverly concealing the various props that will be needed.
Each scene is funny in itself but the pattern is always the same: a threat to the Cad, followed by his escape using lies or bribes, then on to the next until it feels relentless. It needs an edit: if nothing else, some of what is in effect a series of sketches could be cut to avoid the diminishing returns.
Having said that, the Cad’s character and behaviour are at times hilarious, and director Paul Hart keeps the pace moving for over two hours.
James Mack and Katherine Jack in Much Ado About Nothing. Photo: Pamela Raith
Much Ado About Nothing is my favourite Shakespeare comedy. I’ve seen many productions, so believe me when I say that, if you’re in the Newbury area, The Watermill’s new slapstick version is well worth your time.
The play has two, maybe three plot strands. There is a comic romance between Benedick and Beatrice which is probably as perfect as any ever written. Parallel to that, there is a more ‘serious’ relationship between Benedick’s friend Claudio and Beatrice’s cousin Hero. There’s also a lot of funny business involving the Night Watch having knowledge of a crime but being so pompous and stupid as to not recognise the significance of the evidence they have.
The ‘Nothing’ in question is not simply as we understand the word today. In Shakepseare’s time the word noting sounded the same as nothing and related to observation. So the two romances hinge on hoaxes in which the lovers observe false reporting. In the comical thread, Benedick and Beatrice, who spend the early part of the play covering their feelings by insulting one another, are brought together; but there are terrible consequences when Claudio is led to believe Hero has been unfaithful.
The former is the highlight of the evening, with Benedick and Beatrice in turn hiding, while their friends pretend they don’t know they’re there. The adaptor Tom Wentworth and director Paul Hart have chosen to emphasise the comedy of this to the point of slapstick. This is overdone at times but mostly it makes for an amusing evening, especially since James Mack as Bendick is superb at physical comedy. He has a cheeky smile when he delivers his barbs against Beatrice, and he submits his body to numerous indignities, not least having his face daubed with blue paint.
We get a double dose of farce in this production, as there already much built-in silliness in the form of Dogberry, the man in charge of the Night Watch, whose self importance and misuse of language (‘O villain! thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this’) is always a joy. Hayden Wood uses his rubbery face and lanky stature to great comic effect. He even includes a comedy routine for those who stay in the auditorium during the interval, followed by humorous interaction with members of the audience.
Something is lost in this concentration on farce. Augustina Seymour playing Don John, who conducts the plot against Hero, is given little opportunity to establish her malevolence, and we don’t gain enough insight into why Claudio, played by Fred Double, goes from being head over heels in love with Hero (Thuliswa Magwaza) to turning against her so easily, when his love is tested.
His failure needs to be given proper weight, to make all the more moving Benedick’s reaction when his love for Beatrice is tested.
Beautiful speech and sublime singing
Shakespeare takes great joy in Benedick and Beatrice’s language, both their witty insults and their heartfelt romance, and I was pleased to hear James Mack and Katherine Jack speaking the words beautifully.
Priscille Grace in Much Ado About Nothing. Photo: Pamela Raith
The production is set in 1940s Hollywood, which is a mixed blessing. Designer Ceci Calf does miracles in fitting onto The Watermill’s small stage so many props and flats to help the comedy and suggest film sets, but not enough is done to conjure up the glamour of the period. That’s left to the gorgeous costumes. More of a problem is the lack of clarity about exactly how what you might call the ‘real life’ scenes were supposed to integrate with scenes that were apparently being filmed for a movie. Dogs have had more coherent dinners.
Still, the setting was worth it, if only because if provided the opportunity to weave in some songs from the 40s like When I Fall In Love, It Had To Be You and I Can’t Give You Anything But Love. As is traditional in Watermill productions, the actors play instruments but, in this case, nearly all the singing is done by Priscille Grace. Her sublime phrasing and the range of her voice are so good that I felt a frisson of excitement every time she approached the microphone.
Even if this production doesn’t quite do justice to depth of Shakespeare’s play, it is an enjoyable evening’s entertainment. I thoroughly recommend Much Ado About Nothing at The Watermill.
Much Ado About Nothing can be seen at The Watermilluntil 18 May 2024
Paul was given a review ticket by the theatre.
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