The Devil May Care, Southwark Playhouse Borough Review

Reviews

14 Jan

The Devil May Care production image. Photo by Lidia Crisafulli

Written by Cathie for Theatre and Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review

What happens when a self-avowed “Devil’s Disciple”, a man whose name is as darkly stained as gunpowder marks against a wall, decides to sacrifice himself to save another? Devil May Care, written and directed by Mark Giesser, is a modern reworking of George Bernard Shaw’s breakout hit The Devil’s Disciple. However, instead of discussing the evils of the British Empire and the fight for the USA’s colonies, the story has been updated to 1899 and focuses on the Philippine-American War (1899-1913).

This is not often focused upon in modern media and considering this war is often referred to as the USA’s first Vietnam War, it’s highly intriguing. We quickly meet a variety of characters and the plot flits between America and the Philippines. Bringing forward the events of the original play by 120 years, we meet a patriotic and scheming American family with an overbearing mother, Adele Conroe (Jill Greenacre), and Harvard soldier Elias Conroe (Enzo Benvenuti), who are devastated when the family patriarch leaves all his wealth and property to Richard Conroe (Callum Woodhouse), the gun smuggler, supposed Devil's Disciple, and all-around bounder. Throw in a deceiving English Anglican priest (Richard Lyndon), his forthright lawyer wife (Beth Burrows) and a young ward (Izyan Hay) fighting covertly for her country’s freedom and you have all the ingredients for a clandestine court martial and bitter family feuds.

Richard despite immensely enjoying riling up everyone on stage with his “devilish” views, which in reality mark him as more of a radically modern progressive and truly ahead of his time, sacrifices himself by pretending to be the priest who is facing charges for spying, sedition and inciting rebellion. Therefore much of the two hour play hinges on figuring out the motivations of a character who himself can’t understand why he is saving another at the likely cost of his own life. The cast have brilliant chemistry together and work well to keep the atmosphere taut and the plot speedily moving forwards. Burrows and Woodhouse, in particular, are excellent in their witty chemistry and showcase every nuance of their characters’ emotions and flaws in a beautifully vulnerable way. The believable familial bickering between Goodacre and Benvenuti is also a great highlight of this play. Lynson and Hay are the linchpins of compassion and determined spirit which makes the story feel more sharply sympathetic than might be otherwise. The costuming by Alice McNicholas adds an excellent layer of believing these characters are sweating in the tropics and while the set is sparsely functional it works well to highlight the seriousness of the charges against the characters and the situation they are fighting through.

It’s rare to find a rewriting of the script which expands and polishes the original so well. The main core of Shaw’s arguments remain including staunch anti-colonialism and the contrast of how others are either demonised or sanctified depending on society’s impressions of others regardless of their own true character. The updated storyline contains many allusions towards racial equality vs discrimination, women’s rights and limitations in society, family dramas and the devastating impact of war and colonialism on individuals. At times this message gets muddled and it takes the play a while to truly get into its stride but it is an enjoyable way of exploring this concept nonetheless. The shift in focusing on America as the imperial aggressor, especially in light of recent political events, makes the play feel eerily Deja Vu in moments and worth the watch for this alone. However, the key to being a Shaw adaptation, it retains the humour that characterises each of his works, for in jest a point can be made far more sharply and deeply than a morose monologue any day. This play definitely delivers in terms of comedic lines, with the audience chuckling throughout, although this sometimes lowers the tension portrayed. There are a few plot points left dangling and the end is vaguely open but it is mostly an enjoyable play.

If you enjoy witty retorts, comedic thrillers, fantastic actors and plots which will pique your interest in Philippine history, then this is the show for you.