Alex Barasch is a 19
year old Biology student and the current RSC Ambassador for Oxford University,
who, as a lover of early modern drama (and theatre in general), takes full
advantage of the RSC Key’s BP £5 tickets whenever possible.
Maria Aberg’s production of Doctor Faustus is a compelling one from the outset. It opens with RSC veterans Sandy Grierson and Oliver Ryan walking on stage and striking a match: the lead whose match burns out first “loses” and is forced to take on the role of Faustus, the eponymous doctor who sells his soul to Lucifer for 24 years of supernatural power and impunity, while his counterpart plays the devil Mephistophilis. This mirroring continues throughout, as the two swap lines, share monologues and imitate each other’s physicality, emphasising the strength of their contract— and culminating in a delightfully intimate end.
Maria Aberg’s production of Doctor Faustus is a compelling one from the outset. It opens with RSC veterans Sandy Grierson and Oliver Ryan walking on stage and striking a match: the lead whose match burns out first “loses” and is forced to take on the role of Faustus, the eponymous doctor who sells his soul to Lucifer for 24 years of supernatural power and impunity, while his counterpart plays the devil Mephistophilis. This mirroring continues throughout, as the two swap lines, share monologues and imitate each other’s physicality, emphasising the strength of their contract— and culminating in a delightfully intimate end.
Oliver Ryan and Sandy Grierson in Doctor Faustus. Photo by Helen Maybanks (c) RSC
Aberg’s decision to cut the comic scenes in the middle of
the play resulted in a fast-paced, unrelenting performance. In particular, the treatment
of Benvolio’s (Tom McCall) humiliation and attempted revenge was tonally
excellent, and while Ryan’s manic Mephistophilis was sometimes brutal, Grierson
shone as a palpably tormented Faustus whose breakdown is reflected by the
ensemble around him. As everyone he encounters grows increasingly grotesque and
inhuman in both appearance and behaviour—the faceless soldiers who attend on
the Emperor communicate in ominous clicks, and the Duke of Vanholt could pass
for Gluttony—he no longer knows whom to trust.
The visible purity and seeming normalcy of Helen’s childlike
spirit comes almost as a relief to both the Doctor and the audience when he
first summons her, until it becomes clear that here, too, something is off. In this,
one of the most unsettling moments of the production, Faustus is forced to
confront the hollowness of the “pleasures” that have cost him his soul. The
clever doubling of scholars and devils makes subsequent scenes even more sinister,
and we begin to understand Faustus’ paranoia: has the crowd come to entreat him
to entertain with his magic or drag him to hell at last?
These bold choices in costuming and characterisation are
complemented by Naomi Dawson’s simple yet evocative set (the pentagram Faustus
draws when he first summons Mephistophilis remains as a striking reminder for
the duration) and Orlando Gough’s stunning score, by turns discordant and
sensual. All in all, a powerful and innovative interpretation not to be missed.
Doctor Faustus is
now playing in the Swan Theatre until 4 August, 16-25 year olds can still get BP £5 tickets for this
production – just enter promo code 1625 when booking.
