Sport For Jove Presents Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II @ Seymour Centre

Edward11- featured
Inset pic- James Lugton (Mortimer), Barry French (Bishop Of Canterbury), Georgia Adamson (Isabella), Gabriel Fancourt (Prince Edward). Featured pic- Julian Garner as the troubled King Richard 1II. Production photography by Marnya Rothe

It’s a big call for the hip Sport for Jove theatre company to be opening their new production EDWARD II, a revival of Christopher Marlowe’s play, slap bang in the middle of the October long weekend.

This was a big weekend..the weekend of the footie finals.This was going to have to be something special to hold one’s interest and not have one’s mind turn to contemplating whether Thurston would have a blinder tomorrow and blot out super coach Wayne Bennett’s perfect finals  record.

The news is that Sport, by Jove, did take second place  for a good couple of hours to this very fine, engrossing, and relevant production that well and truly held its own.

The show had plenty in it to ponder and reflect on…the main reason I continue to go to the theatre….

These were some of the things that had resonance for me during the show…

What if we had someone as narcissistic and insipid as this character take the Royal throne sometime soon? What kind of horrible chaos would we be thrown into?!

Yes, love really is blind….Why would someone with all the wealth and prestige in the world choose a low life person like Piers Gaveston?! Not a great judge of character was  Edward II  . .

Through the play I kept on thinking of Moliere’s classic play  Tartuffe. The slimey Tartuffe runs rings around Orgon, family man and respectable man around town….Orgon comes within a millisecond of losing everything….

Something else in the play that particularly had resonance to today’s ruthless political climate…When the powers that be behind the throne see that the King is getting back together with Gaveston and that they are all going to be on a losing wicket, it is amazing how quickly they galvanise into action to overthrow him. No stone is unturned…Yes, politics is zip about loyalty and all about protecting your own back as well as watching your own seat!

Terry Kabelas’ production serves Christopher Marlowe’s play well. The ensemble cast of eleven are a treat and accurately portray Marlowe’s largely unpleasant characters well. My pick of the performances- Julian Garner was strong in the lead. James Lugton was great as the very nasty piece of work, Mortimer. Georgia Adamson as Edward’s deceitful wife, Isabella, and Belinda Hoare as the plotting Warwick also stood out.

Kabelas’ staging- set design by Alicia Clements– was very effective. The Company used all of the quite large stage area which it kept free with set pieces and props brought in and out by the actors.

Ross Graham’s lighting design featured some good touches.

David Stalley’s substantial atmospheric soundscape added a lot the dramatic action.

Well worth a  visit, EDWARD II is playing until Saturday 17th October. Be  prepared for a  reasonably long night in the theatre- Act 1 is 60 minutes and Act 2 is 40 minutes.

A co production by the Seymour Centre and Sport for Jove, Terry Karables’ production  of Christopher Marlowe’s EDWARD II is playing the Reginald Theatre at the Seymour Centre Tuesdays till Saturdays until Saturday 17th October. Bookings 93517940.

Cast-

Julian Garner- Edward II, Georgia Adamson- Isabella, Gabriel Fancourt- Prince Edward, Angela Bauer- Princess of Kent, James Lugton- Mortimer, Richard Hilliar- Lancaster, Matrevis, Belinda Hoare- Warwick Abbess, Barry French- Bishop Of Canterbury, Michael Whalley- Piers Gaveston, Lightborn, Ed Lembke-Hogan- Hugh Spencer, Simon London- Baldock, Gurney.

Creatives-

Terry Karables- Director, Alicia Clements- Set Designer, Melanie Liertz- Costume Designer, David Stalley- Sound Designer, Ross Graham- Lighting Designer, Lija Simpson- Stage Manager, Scott Witt- Fight Choreographer, Alexel Creecy- Propmaker, Michelle McKenzie- Operator.