Adapted from the Mervyn Peake novels by director Tara Isabella Burton, Gormenghast will be staged in the Corpus Christi auditorium. Previews are always problematic; lack of set, incomplete costume and under rehearsed actors often ensure that even the best examples of Oxford drama fail to shine, and unfortunately, this problem is exemplified by this particular production. The first half sees the retelling of Titus’s life from his birth, by the grown Titus (Charles Macrae) who watches the scenes he speaks of, occasionally interacting and reacting to the on-stage happenings, which was sadly far too reminiscent of GCSE drama offerings for my liking.
Alex O’Bryan Tear as Sepulchrave gave one of the most well measured and committed performances, and was a pleasure to watch. Sam Young as Prunesquallor, and Mike Crowe as the scheming kitchen boy Steerpike also shone. The portrayal of Titus’s younger sister Fuschia was at points awkward to the point of excruciating, although she did begin to settle into the role as the play progressed.The play itself lacks clarity and focus, and there are a couple of weak performances which sadly detract from its effectiveness overall. There were certainly some interesting aspects of the production, which may well be capitalised on and developed when the play is in its final form. For example, I was informed that many of the characters will be dressed to represent children’s toys as a way of blurring the line between Titus’s retelling of the story and its truth, a point of ambiguity within the book. This visual element I’m sure will add a certain something, along with its eventual location in the Corpus Christi Auditorium, whose stone walls may serve to enhance the fantastical, gothic side of the story and its setting.
Clearly, Gormenghast has several major issues, some of which will surely be solved by the extra week and a half of rehearsal still remaining. However, the nature of the adaptation itself, along with some particularly weak acting, means that it may fail to bring out the most important themes within the book, and I suspect the lack of depth will potentially leave the watcher entertained but ultimately unsatisfied.
3 stars
