March 3 , 2013
Adelaide Festival
Theatre

One Man, Two Guvnors
by Richard Bean
Based on The Servant of Two Masters
by Carlo Goldoni
with songs by Grant Olding
National Theatre of Great Britain
Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide
March 1. Tickets $ 30 – $ 109
Bookings : BASS 131 246 or adelaidefestival.com.au
Until March 9.

Sydney Theatre Company season
March 30 –May 11.
Melbourne Theatre Company season
May 17- June 22.

From the moment The Craze, a young skiffle and beat band complete with quiffs and skinny maroon suits, takes the stage at Her Majesty’s, the National Theatre’s production of One Man, Two Guvnors starts to hum. Richard Bean’s adaptation of The Servant of Two Masters, Carlo Goldoni’s commedia dell’arte farce – has been delivered, delightfully intact, to Brighton, England 1963.

All of the tricks and tropes, japes and capers – mistaken identities, double dealings, frazzled fathers, dimwitted star-crossed lovers, not to mention loyal maids and mischievous servants – are captured and refreshed. The date 1963 is significant, it reminds us that fifty years ago, the first tunes from the Beatles re-minted British pop culture, including its comedy.

So, while One Man, Two Guvnors celebrates the old Palladium comedy, and the vulgar laffs of Brighton Pier, its zany humour mixes Frankie Howerd with the Pythons, radio comedies like Take it from Here with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. The retro format is not a ticket to cliché, as often commedia revivals are, nor does it dip in the bitter sexist and racist undertow of some of the old music hall. Here the ham acting is finely smoked and the cod is salty fresh.
National director Nicholas Hytner has ensured a briskness and airiness to the comedy, ably assisted by physical comedy director Cal McCrystal. And Grant Olding’s award-winning songs stylishly echo both Lonnie Donnegan skiffle and the tender brashness of Mersey pop.

Mark Thompson’s designs are constant fun, whether the faded pastel décor which frames the proscenium, the wacky painted flats of the Cricketers’ Arms pub or the street scenes where the intrigues occur. And the improbable collisions of wallpaper, curtains, striped suits and pre-Quant frocks, aptly match the verbal antics of the performers.

The large cast not only manages the intricacies of the comedy, they have a lot of fun of their own. The double-takes, the corpsing, the improvised asides, the clever use of audience plants, all amp up the humour. Colin Mace anchors the Pantalone role as Charlie Clench, father of Pauline (Kellie Shirley) and in-law to Alan (Leon Williams) hilariously gormless as the lovers. Rosie Wright is delightful as the cross-dressed Rachel, Edward Bennett’s upper class twit Stanley Stubbers is a hoot and Peter Caulfield’s plate rattling Alfie is a show stopper.

But the clinching success is the brilliant turn by the lead, Owain Arthur, as Patrick Henshall. The role may have been originally made for James Corden, but it now fits Arthur like a fabulously ghastly check suit. His Welsh accent, his amazing agility, his warmth and charm, embody the spirit of the clown while his wit and greedy cunning is the subversive swipe of satire.

Murray Bramwell

Published in The Australian as “Delightful farce delivers a dose of Britain in ‘63”
March 4, 2013, p.15.