Surreal festive fun and slapstick frolics
‘The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary’, which opened last week at Southwark Playhouse, has a very misleading title. Instead of tragedy this highly unusual take on one of literature’s great stories offers some rather surreal festive fun and slapstick frolics, writes Katie Kelly.
In both the original novel and this adaptation, the young Emma Bovary dreams of escape from her poor and provincial existence. At first the small-town doctor, Charles Bovary, looks like the perfect means of fulfilling her romantic dreams, a ticket out of ‘dullsville’, but this story is a tragedy which rules out a ‘happy ever after’ ending. A succession of other men fail to deliver the goods and leave her more despondent and deeper in debt until the only option appears to be to ‘exit stage left’ with the help of some poison.
Perhaps that paragraph should have come with s spoiler alert, but the audience seemed to have mostly read the book and were intrigued to see how it could be cheered up. So how does a tragedy become a comedy? First with the addition of a large cast of disturbingly lifelike stuffed rats; bit players in the huge new twist in the tale. Perhaps the rat catchers, or ‘pest control executives’ arrival in town might cause an arsenic shortage and avert disaster. Well you will have to go along to find out.
The cast of four work hard for their keep. The pace of the play is unrelenting, and costume changes are impressively speedy and creative. The audience are often appealed to and involved in a way that adds to the fun.
In amongst the physical comedy and terrible magic tricks, there are some poignant moments. Georgia Nicholson, who plays Emma, shows impressive emotional range. Darker elements of the original story, which was a satire of its age, do get a look in. The ending is genuinely clever and well executed. If panto is not your thing but you are in the market for some festive theatrical cheer, then this might be for you.
Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6BD until January 11th. Admission: £28, £22.50.
Booking: southwarkplayhouse.co.uk – 0207 407 0234