Elliott Wallis is a drama student who lives in Stratford. He attends the RSC regularly taking full advantage of the RSC Key.
Sir Trevor Nunn returns to the Royal Shakespeare Company
with a stunning production of Ben Jonson’s satirical comedy, Volpone. Putting
the play in a modern context, with iPhones, iPads and LED screens (in Stephen
Brimson Lewis’s sleek, stylish, and minimalist set), shows so obviously how
relevant the play is to today.
Henry Goodman is outstanding in the title role. His
performance is like a masterclass in acting,
switching so effortlessly from the
supposedly dying Volpone, to an Italian salesman, or cockney guard. He has a
talent and onstage energy that very few actors have and this production gives
him a chance to really impress.
Plotting with Volpone throughout the play is his assistant,
Mosca. Orion Lee’s slightly wooden and awkward performance at times feels
forced and unnatural, though there are moments later on in the play where the
robotic nature of his performance fits with the character and the situation. He
shines most during the scenes in the court, but during his scenes with Volpone he
is overshadowed by the overwhelming nature of Goodman’s performance, and it
feels like he is trying too hard.
There are lots of strong performances from this very
talented Company. Annette McLaughlin’s self-obsessed Lady Politic Would-Be (followed
around by a small team of assistants and a camera man), and Colin Ryan’s
American traveller, Peregrine, are both genius character inventions, and superbly
executed. I must also mention the comic performances of Voltore (Miles
Richardson), Corbaccio (Geoffrey Freshwater) and Corvino (Matthew Kelly), the
three gullible businessmen whom Volpone and Mosca trick into thinking are each
Volpone’s heir.
This production shines as the best of the current RSC
season, throwing Jonson’s play into the 21st century. With two of
Britain’s best, directing and starring in the title role, it couldn’t possibly
be anything but brilliant.
There are a limited number of BP £5 tickets left for Volpone. Make sure you grab them before they are gone!
