The play is set in Wittenberg University, Germany in 1517. Prince Hamlet (Alexander Butt) has got to the point in his education where he has to choose his major. Two lecturers do battle to try to influence Hamlet to make a decision and major in their subject. Enter, Dr John Faustus (David Woodward) who has four doctorates. One of them is in Philosophy and another in Medicine. These two feature heavily in the play, as he spends his time either arguing and discussing the meaning of life, the universe and the Bible or fixing peoples minor ailments. He has a small medicine cabinet full of interesting herbs and pills from exotic places. Then there Martin Luther (Nick Curnow) who won't have a bad word said about God or the Bible. His whole world is in the Bible and spars constantly with Faustus.
This sounds like it would be a very dry play but it is not at all. It is is full of quotes from Shakespeare, the modern day an probably more. It is a play where you will find yourself hanging off every word because you don't want to miss something. It is a play where you will either want to go back and see it again or read the script yourself. Finally, it will also make you think about the Bible and what it says, you may even want to pick up a copy and start reading it, if you don't already.
There are some very funny scenes one being the when Martin is reading from the Bible and Faustus and his girlfriend Helen (Lana Kershaw) are having hot sex behind him, which happen to fall in line with what is being read from the Bible! One of the arguments in the local tavern turns into a rather childish peanut fight. Faustus and Martin even though they wind each other up, you instinctly know that they are good friends and have a lot of respect for each other. Another great scene is a tennis match, but I don't want to say too much about that as I will spoil it for those that do decide to take my advice and go. Just take it from me it was superbly executed.
The set for this production was simple but effective, with hanging window frames and hanging pages of the Bible which were used for various purposes in the play. The costumes were modern day and subtly reflected their characters. Faustus had the roguish look of a lecture, we will all remember a teacher or lecturer that looked just like him. Martin was the opposite all dressed in black as he is a respectable priest who takes himself and faith very seriously. Helen is a fallen woman having separated from her husband, she is cleverly dressed in a long red dress, is she the devil tempting Faustus? Lana Kershaw shows some diversity in her acting as she takes on 4 different characters in the play. Laertes (Timothy Potter) we don't actually see until the curtain call, you will have to go and see the play to find out why.
The production was directed by Richard Hilliar, though the play seems very simple, when there is a lot of dialogue between two players you have to get it right so you don't hold up the pace. He kept the staging very simple but he kept the characters moving on the stage quite a bit. There were not many static moments. The casting was superb. David and Nick both accomplished actors brought out the very best from their characters, I certainly couldn't fault them.
I doubt there is be many, if any productions of this play that will beat the standard of this performance.
It is playing at the Old Fitz in Kings Cross until 25 January, for more info click here
This sounds like it would be a very dry play but it is not at all. It is is full of quotes from Shakespeare, the modern day an probably more. It is a play where you will find yourself hanging off every word because you don't want to miss something. It is a play where you will either want to go back and see it again or read the script yourself. Finally, it will also make you think about the Bible and what it says, you may even want to pick up a copy and start reading it, if you don't already.
There are some very funny scenes one being the when Martin is reading from the Bible and Faustus and his girlfriend Helen (Lana Kershaw) are having hot sex behind him, which happen to fall in line with what is being read from the Bible! One of the arguments in the local tavern turns into a rather childish peanut fight. Faustus and Martin even though they wind each other up, you instinctly know that they are good friends and have a lot of respect for each other. Another great scene is a tennis match, but I don't want to say too much about that as I will spoil it for those that do decide to take my advice and go. Just take it from me it was superbly executed.The set for this production was simple but effective, with hanging window frames and hanging pages of the Bible which were used for various purposes in the play. The costumes were modern day and subtly reflected their characters. Faustus had the roguish look of a lecture, we will all remember a teacher or lecturer that looked just like him. Martin was the opposite all dressed in black as he is a respectable priest who takes himself and faith very seriously. Helen is a fallen woman having separated from her husband, she is cleverly dressed in a long red dress, is she the devil tempting Faustus? Lana Kershaw shows some diversity in her acting as she takes on 4 different characters in the play. Laertes (Timothy Potter) we don't actually see until the curtain call, you will have to go and see the play to find out why.
The production was directed by Richard Hilliar, though the play seems very simple, when there is a lot of dialogue between two players you have to get it right so you don't hold up the pace. He kept the staging very simple but he kept the characters moving on the stage quite a bit. There were not many static moments. The casting was superb. David and Nick both accomplished actors brought out the very best from their characters, I certainly couldn't fault them.
I doubt there is be many, if any productions of this play that will beat the standard of this performance.
It is playing at the Old Fitz in Kings Cross until 25 January, for more info click here
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