Maybe Dick
Written by John Hewer
Hambledon Productions
The Barre, Louth
01 June 2023
In 1851, Herman Melville published his novel, Moby Dick - or The Whale. The book was published to mixed reviews, was a commercial failure, and was out of print at the time of the author's death in 1891. It was reappraised in the years that followed and took its place in the canon of great American literature. If I am honest, it is not a book I enjoyed. I found it turgid and unnecessarily detailed. There are sections that indicate Melville was adamant that he was going to prove he had done ALL the research needed to write authoritatively about whaling. It is an endurance test to slog through the novel and I may be a Philistine but it is not on my list of favourite books. However, its place in popular culture is undeniable. In the 1990s, I watched the Cameron Mackintosh produced musical version and loved it. It was bonkers and featured a St Trinians-esque cast wherein former Chippendales were cast as schoolgirls and international cabaret artist Tony Monopoly played the headmistress who insists on taking the role of Captain Ahab. Over lockdown, I was lucky enough to watch Spymonkey's comic take on the show online top. The piece is ripe for comic styling.
All of which brings us to John Hewer's entry into the oeuvre. I am more than familiar with Hewer's record for comedy and his extremely successful touring shows that revive classic comedy for a modern audience. Following on from his previous one-man show, an adaptation of Dracula, he has has taken on the Herculean task of performing a one-man version of Melville's whale of a tale. Sort of. To adapt the novel as an audiobook, it takes its reader over 24 hours. So, a full adaptation was never an option. Maybe Dick is a deliberately loose, very silly tale that dabbles with all the essential elements of the original but allows John Hewer to play to his strength.
As he develops his craft, Hewer is becoming something of a master storyteller. His audience adore his daft on-stage persona(s) and are willing to bear with him knowing that he will recycle those appallingly bad Dad jokes of our youth and bring a fresh comic performance to the stage for 2023. The way in which Hewer navigates Melville's story is wonderful and yet he never feels the need to become a slave to his source material.
The design of this show is awe-inspiring with a revolving prow of a boat, replete with figurehead and an interchangeable name plate allowing for some rather silly scenes as our narrator encounters various vessels. The ingenuity behind the design is phenomenal and the way the stage is set out works astonishingly well. It is certainly a step up in scale from Dracula! One Bloody Fang After Another. A special mention needs to be made of some of the bespoke props built for the show including the figurehead, Ahab's leg and even the sign for The Spouter Inn all fabricated by Alan Trevor of Patsy Props. And mention of one of Hewer's "cast mates" a puppet seagull that charms the audience to the point that they grieve his disappearance during the show made by Life and Limb Puppets!
This show has a little bit of everything, there is pure nonsensical silliness, there is original music - written by Christopher Peters - when Hewer sings and accompanies himself on a concertina. There is puppetry directed by Jane Crawshaw and there is a touch of pathos as the tragic tale reaches its inevitable conclusion. The show has been directed, once again, by Bruce Knight, who is himself a vastly experienced comic performer. The show is about to embark on a national tour and is still in many ways a work in progress. Nevertheless, this comic tour de force is not to be missed because such original adaptations require tremendous effort and as noted above, may be the vision of one man but the realisation relies on so many others to bring it to fruition.
As Hewer skips from character to character, it is difficult to remember precisely who is who, but Knight's direction has helped Hewer to give each character a different voice and visual cues as well as an array of accents. I loved his half-crazed minister at his pulpit preaching the tale of Jonah and the Whale, similarly his unblinking, mad-eyed Ahab with his multi-purpose false leg. Starbuck became a shrugging New Yorker with a passion for experimenting with various kinds of coffee. We had Scotsmen, Irish men and even the odd Cornish pirate for good measure. The ease with which Hewer transforms himself is extremely skilful and it may only take a change of posture or a glassy stare to suggest each character, but it works well and signifies each character most effectively.
I thoroughly recommend Maybe Dick, you will be hit with wave after wave of silliness, leaving a warm glow and a great big smile. This comedy shot in the arm is just what the doctor ordered as a remedy for the gloomy experience of recent years. All power to Hambledon Productions, long may they reign!
Andy Evans 02 June 2023
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