The greatest disappointment here is the missed opportunity. The RSC could have created a masterful work that gave great insight into the remarkable events of that Belgian December 1914. Instead, they settled for The Christmas Truce.
A beautiful, sometimes shocking, sometimes haunting, production of an intricate and detailed dissection of human frailty and weakness. Doran lavishes great care and attention on the task of illuminating the text, telling the story in an engrossing way. Niki Turner’s spare, but stunningly effective design, aids immeasurably.
The production is blessed with good acting, impeccable timing and a sense of style, mischief and swagger which accentuates its high points. Pretty much everyone is trying to best everyone else with an armoury of quips, quibbles and quizzical asides and, happily, Luscombe seeks to make the most of this.
It’s like watching a censored propaganda film: you have a clear idea what to expect, but it is presented in a way which dumbfounds those expectations.
It’s wonderful seeing a little play, virtually unknown, on the main stage at Stratford. An auspicious debut for Godwin and another good sign about Gregory Doran’s stewardship of the RSC.
Perhaps it was just that Richard II promised so much, but this Henry IV Part One did not make one long for Part Two.
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