Artorigus - The Downfall of a King
by Ross Stephenson
Produced by Draft99
Terry O'Toole Theatre
North Hykeham
12 August 2022
Tonight marked something of a homecoming for playwright Ross Stephenson who hails from Lincoln and made his stage debut at the Terry O'Toole Theatre as a schoolboy. Tonight, he brings his new play Artorigus prior to its transfer to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it will open on Monday at The Space on Niddry Street.
This is an inventive re-examination of Arthurian myths and legends that is presented in iambic pentameter and includes original sea shanties and live musical accompaniment in the dramatic arena. First written as Stephenson's dissertation for drama school, the piece has had a staggered development phase, interrupted by COVID and enjoyed prior performances as it has been shaped and grown into Stephenson's first professional engagement as a writer.
The play is a single act and runs at around 40 - 45 minutes to ensure that it fits within the necessary timeframe for the Fringe as timings are tight as slots are at a premium. I checked with writer Stephenson who informed me that they are permitted a five minute get-in and a five minute get-out each day and everything MUST be concluded within their one-hour slot. These facts dictate the ways in which the show can travel and makes a call upon its presentation. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention and Artorigus proves it. There is no set, aside from six chairs, and only changes in lighting state provide mood changes and suggest that the action shifts location between scenes. Those familiar with the Fringe will recognise the strictures of form in that regard.
The costume design also retains a modest simplicity in that every character is bedecked in what may best be described as a Canadian Tuxedo. Denim is the order of the day. It is a simple yet effective design choice when playing a period piece and yet budgets are non-existent. It offers neutrality but successfully avoids the cliche of everyone wearing black, which has really been done to death and is almost shorthand for pretentious theatre. As actors who are multi-roleplaying swap characters, jackets are removed and a consistent look is achieved each time that character should appear within the story. In one instance a green denim shirt breaks the sea of blue, but for very good reason.
The other interesting production choice is the gender blind casting. Males play females and females play males as the script requires. The casting of Emma Kemp as Artorigus the King is inspired. She carries herself with regal gravitas and solemnity and never seeks to force the issue of playing a male role. Her performance is consistent throughout and the credibility of her performance is without question. The way in which she handles the language and the verse within the play clearly demonstrates that they cast well when looking at this production. The fact that she is also an accomplished clarinet player is employed effectively too. Kemp does not switch roles unlike others and from beginning to end all eyes are drawn to her performance leading the company.
The other performance that really impresses, is that of Alicia Ellis as Medraut who is returning to work with Draft99 for the second time. As the scheming illegitimate son of Artorigus, Medraut leads the discontent among the court of Camelot, quietly manipulating those willing to listen in a manner not unlike Iago in Othello. Ellis manages, despite her diminutive stature, to create an imposing villain for the piece and commands the stage often by making direct address to the audience with a real glint in the eye, to challenge those who would doubt Medraut.
Playwright Ross Stephenson also performs his own work as a member of the company as the King's right hand man Laundsallyn. Stephenson is clearly comfortable with iambic pentameter, having written the lines he delivers so deftly, and with ease that conveys understanding. He often stands behind his king, physically demonstrating his loyalty and is clearly prepared to back his words with action. Laundsallyn succeeds in a dual with the Green Knight (Isaac Rowan in the aforementioned green denim) after some effective swordplay that enhances the stakes and the action within the play as tension rises.
Issac Rowan plays the loyal member of court, the knight Peredur, and doubles as the Green Knight. He too is skilled in the delivery of verse, swordsmanship and stage combat. He also is the first to demonstrate his ability with a cajon pounding out a rhythm to accompany the other live instrumentation from the players.
Whilst speaking of the music, it is worth bringing in another of the cast here as Lauren Bickerdike playing the dual roles of Borz and Isolde also brought considerable skill from her training in musical theatre and helped the company to realise their goal, arranging the instrumentation and preparing them to deliver sea shanties written specifically for the play. To have such a talented performer languishing in the company and not to employ her skills would have been a crime.
The final member of the company is director and actor Tom Plenderleith who plays the role of Drysdan, Artorigus' chosen successor and tragic hero/husband to Isolde along with the less-devoted wife of Artorigus, Gwenhwyfar. He gives a quietly understated performance as the king's wife and brings tenderness and fragility to the role which is in stark contrast with his earlier role of Drysdan and is a pleasure to watch. As director he makes some very smart choices and ensures that the narrative is never lost as the action fairly zips along.
The movement in the play, directed by Ben Reid is swift, purposeful ( and in the main) effective, though it might have been nice to hold some of the pictures slightly longer in order to offer a variety of pace allowing the audience to dwell on the tragedy of certain moments. There is a strong frenetic energy to the movement that really keeps the overall pace of the performance moving beautifully. The music, written by Cameron Gray, Sam Collier and Jack Stephenson works well and again, manages to avoid the cliche of Greensleeves or other such "period" musical choices. The talented cast play clarinet, cajon, and ukulele as well as delivering some wonderful harmonies vocally. The occasional songs work well and break up the text nicely. It is clearly hoped that sea shanties will be viewed as accessible to potential audiences on the Royal Mile as the production touts for trade later this month.
The play is a bold attempt to retell a classic story as new writing and succeeds in making form as important as narrative. This play really deserves to be seen. It is notoriously difficult to grow an audience in Edinburgh. I desperately hope that audiences will realise that they could be missing a gem if they don't see Artigorus. Stephenson's poetic talent as a writer is promising and I suspect that we will see and hear far more of him as a writer beyond the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe. Quite what stories he has within him to share is, as yet, unknown but I will follow his career with interest and will certainly hope to see more of his work in coming years.
Regular readers of my blog will know I don't give out stars for my reviews, however, I am going to make an exception this time in order to help potential audiences in Edinburgh to make up their minds. This show is easily worth 4 out 5 stars.
Andy Evans - 12 August 2022
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