A Devil Of A Show

There is always a great danger in setting a Renaissance play in what may be deemed ‘modern’ times; the lamentable filming of ‘Macbeth on the Estate’ springs to mind. WUDS, however, in their adaptation of Marlowe’s ‘Doctor Faustus’, aptly shortened to ‘Faustus’ to accommodate his 2007 incarnation as a banker, have pulled off a very rare thing indeed: transposing the 400 year old text into the current political and economic climate, and not sacrificing the integrity of the verse in doing so. ‘Marlowe’s mighty line’, so called by Jonson, resonates through what is a carefully constructed, poignant concept that makes a statement about the current environment in which we find ourselves.

The traverse staging gives the director, Dan Hutton, the freedom to externalise the inner struggle of Faustus; the good and evil angels’ appearances from either side are highly effective. The action is unrelenting and Faustus, admirably performed by Alastair Hill, has not a single moment of respite. Hill’s performance is excellent in its communication of Faustus’ torment, the futility of his repentance and shows the darker side to human greed – of which we are all capable – that can lead to irrevocable consequences. The blocking is slick, fast-paced and serves to reinforce the play’s concept of Faustus being a man in the City.

Lilith Brewer’s more than disturbing portrayal of Mephistopheles is a key part of the play’s success, underpinned by incredibly clever staging. Brewer manages to communicate the personal tragedy of Mephistopheles, highlighting the universal nature of the Faustian pact: ‘Why this is hell, nor am I out of it’. Brewer’s glare is intense, her words painful, and her inner turmoil palpable, enabling the audience to see the devastating effects of everlasting perdition.

Not an ounce of talent is wasted in the small cast. Each performer is utilised to such an extent that one forgets that there are only nine of them. Faustus, of course, dominates the action, but is matched in energy by the cast, particularly in the pageant of the seven deadly sins.

Although Marlowe’s comic scenes including Robin and Rafe have not been included, Dan Hutton has plucked some laughs out of the air with some clever staging and a highly skilled cast. The comedy, however, does not dissipate the emotional intensity of the action; we are, from start to finish, aware of Faust’s inevitable hellish fall and do not lose sight of this for a single moment.

The production does the rare thing of striking the balance between the artistic and the technical. The technical big guns, as it were, do not seem at all incongruous, rather, they refreshingly give the play an extra dimension and do so much more than merely embellish the onstage action.

The setting serves as a chilling reminder that the notion of a Faustian pact is not one that is buried and forgotten in the dusty bookshelves of history: it is, and always will be, a key part of human existence. The Faust legend has reared its ugly head throughout the arts for centuries: Marlowe’s morality play, Goethe’s closet drama, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, the blues guitarist Robert Johnston, and, of course, the cinematic brilliance of ‘Bedazzled’. Faust is in all of us, whether we make pacts with the Devil, our companions, or the barkeep of the Dirty Duck, there is always a price that one pays for one’s pleasures; it is simply a question of discretion.

WUDS’ production, in a word, is chilling, exhilarating and worth a great deal more than a mere £6/7 for a ticket.