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‘Alchemist’ is pure Comic Gold

Coleridge famously described Ben Jonson’s 1610 play ‘The Alchemist’ as having ‘one of the three most perfect plots ever planned’ and in Martin Allison’s abridged version, performed in Speech Hall on 5th -7th November this seemed more so than ever. As the director wrote in the informative programme notes, it is as if ‘Face, Subtle and Dol themselves are devising the plot as they involve themselves in a series of schemes to defraud their clients.’ This triumvirate of crooks were given just enough likeable humanity but without losing the essential rottenness at their core. Watching them brought Auden’s lines to mind: ‘Love your crooked neighbour with your crooked heart’. Writing less than twelve hours after the first night it is the fawning, bent figure of James Currie’s Face that first comes to mind. This part demands playing virtually three roles and his switch to the more supposedly upright James, butler of Lovewit, at the end was superbly done. This Face was compellingly repulsive and attractively audacious.

As the alchemist Subtle we had Chris Williams, a regular for many years on Cranleigh’s boards and this was his finest hour to date. He made wonderful use of his long arms and big hands to give us a gestural equivalent of his dissembling words. He is an actor who always brings charm to a role and here the audience relish his trickery because his victims are so gullible and deserve to be duped. There was something of Prospero in this performance, I felt. The third swindler, Dol, was delightfully done by Shaunagh Duncan. She too has two extra roles to bring off (a lady and a Queen of fairies) and had the virtuosity to do so with élan. Again there was a balance in keeping a sense of real callousness in the character while remaining the centre of attraction in this male-dominated world.

There were several other performances of what was close to comic genius. JJ Bee’s talent was already known but his Epicure Mammon was a further progression in his ability to command the stage. It is, of course, easier to do stooped age in a comedy than a tragedy when you are still just 16, but it takes a gifted physical actor to convince us of the aches and pains of movement while still giving us the comedy of the senex amans. As Dapper, Alex Moss used an open mouth and a gormless expression to hilarious effect: some audience members were in stitches the whole time he was on stage. The cleverness here was to make it seem naturalistic, to avoid even a second of the mask slipping.

Further variety was given to the comic entertainment by the suitably grotesque tobacconist (Nick Roberts as Drugger) and Alex Quant as the cynical Pertinax who also appears as a comic Spaniard and sends the audience to check their programmes: “Isn’t that the same actor who.......? Is he playing another part? Is there an error in the programme??? Oh, I see! He’s in disguise!” Kastril was given an apt-sounding Scottish accent by Angus Peters and a costume that suited the accent but boldly contrasted with those of the other characters. Anna van der Zalm used comic vocals as well as her costume to add another vein of comedy. Mike Holford brought a great warmth and tolerance to Lovewit who unexpectedly returns home just as all the various people being duped are converging at once on his house (which Face has been illicitly using as the trio’s base. This farcical end allowed four more actors to be involved in this very slick and tight show.

The programme listed thirty others involved in the production and I know the director will have found the support and encouragement of Peter McNiven (a fine, solid set design); Paul Leggitt (ingenious props and furniture); Mark Jenkins (lighting design and tech supremo); and Dave Cresswell (directorial assistance) and that of all the others to have been invaluable. Music was, refreshingly, played live by Tom Hollister (xylophone) and Chloe Allison (recorder), the latter helping set the period and reminding us that the play is more serious than just a clever farce. Much credit goes to Martin Allison for the many hours he must have put in, even before rehearsals started, in adapting the text to make so incisive and approachable an evening but losing none of the essentials of this literary masterpiece. PJL