Gawain and the Green Knight at Park Theatre Review
Gawain and the Green Knight production image. Photo by Kira Turnpenny
Written by Cathie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Trigger warnings: The production contains strobe lighting, haze, strong language, gun shot sounds and mild threat and violence.
There is no better time than Christmas to take on an epic quest to completely change your life, if only to avoid the ever-growing to-do list. The original medieval tale, also set at Christmas, is a rather serious tale of pride and humility. The Green Knight appears at Arthur’s court and challenges anyone to land a blow on him, which he will return in exactly one year. Gawain slices off the knight’s head, which he picks off the floor, and states he will return this blow the next year, and Gawain’s pilgrimage of pride and humility commences.
Make It Beautiful Productions and the Park Theatre have created a modernised parody version of this epic poem. Directed by Kelly Stuart and written and performed by Felix Grainger & Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson, this is a phenomenal comedy that rivals Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Blackadder in sheer comedic joy.
Camelot has been updated to Camelot Corp, a cybersecurity firm with Merlin AI to fulfill your every need and fight against competitors, Mordred Inc, among others. All of the members of the company are renamed to suit figures from the Arthurian Saga, such as the CEO being Arthur and Gwynne of the sales team.
When the play opens, we meet Gawain, really Gary, being “voluntarily banished” due to being the most boring man in the company. What follows over the next two hours is Gawain’s search for their self-identity, pride, connection with others, and the Santorini 09 files for Mrs Duckett. The first act sets up the foundations for the terrible arrival of the Green knight and the second act details Gawain’s search for redemption and a way out of this gruesome bargain. The pacing was fast, although laying the initial groundwork took longer than I expected, but the story was quickly and evenly propelled through the storyline.
The themes of courage, forging one’s own path in life, fighting back against one’s critics, and choosing love and happiness over empty fame and fortune were pithy and profound. This production manages to retain the moral story of the original poem but also keeps its message fantastically modern and relevant. The cast have clear passion for this story and works well together to bring it vividly to life. Laura Pujos sings beautifully as Sarah, Gwynne, and Hetty while bringing much heart to this story. Shaun Chambers’ voiceover and narration were hilarious and warm. Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson as Lance brilliantly uses deadpan humour and subtly brilliant inferences, as well as broader physical comedy. Cara Steele as Arthur is sinister, unhinged, and a truly excellent comedic element that helps the play propel merrily. Felix Grainger plays Gawain fabulously with courage, deep tenderness, and that familiar “why am I in this insane job” stare that we have all gone through as he fights for his future at Camelot Corp. I was impressed at the nuance and depth of their performances as they truly bring this story to life with reverence and joy.
Simon Nicholas’s set was simple yet effective. A curved wall of endless office drawers with a lift within perfectly evokes the boring hopelessness that Gawain feels. I especially liked the detailed props, including Gawain’s shield, which glows more the further he advances in his quest. Caitlin MacGregor’s lighting design increases both the surreal and comedic elements of this retelling. Ciéranne Kennedy-Bell’s costume designs were brilliantly detailed and a source of subtle hilarity throughout. Kezia Tomsett’s composition and music design is a particular strength of this production. The music is ethereal and perfectly encapsulates the strange quest these characters undergo, and beautifully underscores and draws out the emotions of the cast and audience.
Other musical strengths include playing bardic medieval versions of modern songs, including ABBA and Queen, in the interval to keep the audience in a medieval mood. This was a hilarious, unhinged, and oddly heart-warming retelling of Gawain and the Green Knight, which manages to beautifully balance a faithful retelling and a brand new narrative form. If you enjoy dynamic casts, imaginative plays, enjoying a retelling of classic literature, or enjoy highly imaginative and comedic fantasy, then this is the Christmas show for you.
Running until 24th December
★★★★★
