With his final show in the Lyttleton
theatre, Nick Hytner presents Bernard Shaw’s witty and thought- provoking ‘Man
and Superman’. Starring Ralph Fiennes, the plot lends itself to being a
romantic- comedy but with the verbal gymnastics and philosophical debates the
audience is treated to a production like no other.
The plot of the inevitable Ann and Tanner,
alongside hidden lovers Violet and Hector, with the critical views of women,
marriage and anything Shaw can lay his hands on seems like it should be
unrelatable to a modern audience. However, the views and critical opinions seem
more important and prominent than ever. By cutting the script so it discludes any
wholly Victorian notions and attempting to make more of a balance between
gender roles, we are rid of the unrelatable ideas and are exposed to Shaw’s
intellectual arguments and thoughts. But Shaw never takes himself too
seriously. Amongst Tanner’s motor- mouth and in-depth ideologies, the other
characters keep Tanner relatable, and side with the audience, with comments
about how much Tanner talks, showing Shaw to be mocking his own writing and
intelligence. Often this provides a moment of relief for the audience after
listening, developing ideas and following Tanner’s lengthy speeches.
There was never going to be any surprise in
Ralph Fiennes’ capability in playing the discursive, demanding Jack Tanner.
Fiennes metamorphosises into Tanner, presenting the audience with charm,
intellect and persuasion as Shaw’s ideas roll off the tongue into the audience
who understand every last word. Fiennes did not out-shine the rest of the cast
though. He was equally matched with the passionate and assertive Ann
Whitefield, played by the astounding Indira Varma, accompanied by motor- head
Straker (Elliot Barnes- Worrell) and the soft- hearted artist Octavius Robinson
(Ferdinand Kingsley). Perhaps the role that provided the audience with some,
still witty, relief was Mendoza and The Devil, played by Tim McMullan whose
recital of ‘Louisa’ certainly touched the hearts of the audience.
All this would be useless however if it weren’t’
for Simon God win’s direction. The contemporary setting brought the play to
life and never felt forced or artificial. Accompanied with an incredibly competent
technical team, the play has been re-born with a visually appealing set, video
that reflect the writing and technical that enhances Shaw’s ideas. With each
act the design team are presented with a new challenge, which they excel with,
and I was especially overwhelmed by the perception of hell.
Quite honestly it’s hard to say a bad word
about ‘Man and Superman’. The three hours and forty minutes, which a Victorian
audience would have felt cheated by, passed me by in a flash and even days
after seeing the play I am still creating and forming opinions. A true piece of
theatre.
For tickets visit: http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/man-and-superman
SOLD OUT. Possible returns on the day.
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