Theatre - Pericles - Bell Shakespeare

Reviews, By jimjazz, 3rd July, 2009

It could be said that Pericles is to Shakespeare what A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is to Sondheim; something of a repertoire aberration. And while Pericles has enjoyed a renaissance in the last century or so, it spent an odd 200 years languishing like an unwanted puppy, staged in corrupted or eviscerated versions. Bell Shakespeare, not to be quite so odd, has exhumed the work for a solid run in collaboration with the musical menagerie that is TaikOz.

Like Forum, the plot of Pericles is a classic tale of misadventure. Taken from the true story of the Greek King Pericles of Tyre, who was a social reformer, a conservative and a bit of a war hero who was prone to the odd outburst of tears, this clearly confused individual has formed the basis for Shakespeare’s rather pale tale.

So hero is forced on adventure, marries girl. Heads home, and gets caught in a storm. Girl dies giving birth. Hero gives up daughter and disappears. Daughter grows up in care of a governor and his wife. Wife tries to murder daughter because she’s smarter and prettier than her own (Les Miserables); so daughter goes to work in a brothel (of course); her piety stops all the men from corrupting her (Miss Saigon) and eventually she is brought before the sad older hero to help him, only for them to discover that they are dad and daughter.

To complete the (Lion King) circle of life the hero’s girl (who didn’t actually die) is also reunited and we can all go home happy that the world will end as it began – in a molten ball of flame! Hurrah!

Please, excuse my cynicism, for there is much to malign here in a tired old plot line and an even more tiresome ending. The bulk of this comedy’s humour revolves around the proclivities of the brothel workers in a rather predictable audience reaction to that which we simply find uncomfortable – sexuality writ large.

To determine what other great meaning can be read into Pericles is perhaps left to the inclusion of TaikOz, which integrates their huge percussive music and the fine bamboo shakuhachi. The ensemble’s inclusion provides what can only be described as a welcome respite from the plot. The music allowed for seamless scene changes and contributed a wonderful sense of the ritual of dance in ancient Greece.

The design, set, costume (both Julie Lynch), and lighting (Gavan Swift), were a clever homage to the period, clipped with a contemporary edge, including an hysterical turban worn by John Gaden, which reminded me of The Sultan in Aladdin. From a sound design perspective the sheer magnitude of the music had an occasional tendency to drown out dialogue. An often difficult space acoustically, some dialogue was lost through a lack of clear projection on the part of the actors.

Marcus Graham worked hard as Pericles and his performance in act 2 is well worth waiting for. John Gaden as Gower (the narrator), Simonides and Cerimon, portrays each character he plays with wit and a gentle touch that the audience loved. Meanwhile, apart from Philip Dodd as Helicanus and Paul Reichstein as Thaliard, the supporting cast struggle to make any real connection to their characters.

Bell Shakespeare’s Pericles is playing at the Sydney Opera House until August 1, and at the Melbourne Arts Centre from August 8-22.