THEATRE REVIEW: Pop-Up Globe’s “Measure for Measure” is Dark, Dirty, and Damn Funny
In my most recent article, I had the immense pleasure of introducing you to the Pop-Up Globe, the theatrical spectacle which is currently visiting Perth. Their brilliant rendition of the magical comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, had me begging for more Shakespeare, and my wish was soon to be granted. I was sent back to review the Pop-Up Globe’s take on one of the Bard’s more controversial plays, Measure for Measure.
Some of Shakespeare’s plays are well known to the average person, and have been done to death in a long line of stage and film interpretations going back centuries. Measure for Measure, however, is less familiar, perhaps because of its classification as one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays”. These stories, which depict a contemporary social issue, have been considered problematic for the controversial topics they explore, as well as the way their tone can seesaw back and forth between hilarious comedy and dark tragedy. Measure for Measure certainly fit the bill. While the production presented itself on the surface as an irreverent, raunchy romp, underneath the wrapping of endless dick jokes, the play posed important moral questions about society’s views on sex, the abuse of political power, and consent.
Considering the recent rise of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, which have shone a light on rape culture and sexual crimes committed by people in power, this production felt very timely. To me, it reinforced how Shakespeare’s work is truly timeless, and despite its dated language, continues to tell stories that are relevant to modern audiences, even 415 years later. The Pop-Up Globe’s director Dr Miles Gregory certainly had his work cut out for him, as he and the cast and crew of Measure for Measure worked to find the balance between funny and disturbing.
Returning to the life-size replica of The Globe Theatre, I found myself once again in the nobles’ section upstairs, an excellent vantage point from which I could see the swelling crowd of groundlings in the pit below. As more audience members filled empty seats and gathered near the stage, two brightly dressed musicians wandered into the throng of people and began to play simple, upbeat melodies on their violins, which soon had us all clapping in time with them. With the arrival of more colourful characters, who sang and danced amongst the audience, this theatrical party atmosphere welcomed us all into a celebration of colour, motion, music, and frivolity. This would continue throughout much of the play, with regular musical-style songs and dances being interspersed between scenes.
The 17th Century costumes in Measure for Measure, designed by Chantelle Gerrard, were an integral aspect of the play, and were cleverly used to distinguish the rambunctious common folk of Vienna from the austere nobles who ruled the city. However, in some cases, they were also used to suggest a difference, not of social class, but of perceived morality. The saucy party-animal city folk wore fantastically colourful gowns and suits, embellished with lace collars, puffy sleeves, and, for the ladies, white painted faces with blushing red cheeks. In stark contrast, the Duke, his courtly entourage, and various religious characters wore more simple and sensible costumes. The one deceptive exception to the rule was the villain of the story, Lord Angelo, whose sexual depravity lay hidden beneath a simple, Puritan black suit.
Hugh Sexton played Angelo, whose character rather reminded me of Judge Frollo from Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Both were harshly strict statesmen who claimed to be above desires of the flesh, but found themselves lusting after a woman, and abusing their positions of authority and power to blackmail her into having sex with him. While Angelo was initially comical as he struggled with his newfound attraction (especially when he experienced an unexpected ejaculation for the first time on stage), his predatory actions later became the trigger for the dark change in tone. I think the whole Globe felt an icy chill run down their spines when Angelo ominously locked the door of his chambers, leaving him alone in the room with the helpless Isabella.
Isabella, the novice nun and the play’s heroine, was played by Clementine Mills, who skillfully captured the essence of a woman strong in her faith, but shaken by the corrupt nature of powerful men like Angelo. While there were times when Isabella’s fervent religious devotion would have connected better with a medieval audience than a modern one, she was still entirely relatable in the moments when she grappled with Angelo’s unwanted sexual advances. Most of us have never been faced with the prospect of trading consent for the life of a brother, but when Mills asked the crowd, “To whom should I complain? Who would believe me?”, she made her predicament one that represents every woman propositioned by a person with more power than her.
While the characters at the very heart of the harassment were understandably more solemn, there were still plenty of characters there to lighten the mood and provide the laughs we were looking for. Duke Vincentio, played by Jonathan Tynan-Moss, was almost certainly the original inspiration for Undercover Boss, as he left Angelo to run Vienna while he masqueraded in his own city as a simple friar. Disguised and unknown by his own subjects, the Duke was a source of constant entertainment, thanks to the adoption of an American Deep South accent that transformed his 17th-century priest into an evangelical preacher. While Isabella’s sincere religious belief seemed to distance her from us, it was quite the opposite when the Duke encouraged the audience to echo his many cries of “Hallelujah!” and “Amen!”. The physical comedy that came of the friar characters being supposedly blind was just an added bonus that made otherwise dull moments in the script ripe for some slapstick shenanigans. The business of replacing an innocent blind man’s cane with a modern pink dildo certainly had the crowd in stitches.
The biggest belly-laughs of all were, of course, provided by the prostitutes, pimps, and playboys of Vienna, played to perfection by Bryony Skillington, Frith Horan, Lydia Raynes, and Max Loban. These colourful 17th Century sex workers were virtuosos of vice, and cast themselves in a light that made them easy to love and impossible to hate, even when we were slightly repulsed by their unashamed bawdiness. Nearly every line they spoke was sexual innuendo, and they never missed an opportunity to use their body language to accentuate their saucy insinuations. I’ll not soon forget how the crowd roared when Mistress Overdone, a brothel-owner played by Skillington, cried out, “Dip me in oil and feed me to the miners of Perth!”, or when she offered a groundling her finger to sniff. Best of all perhaps was an ad-libbed section when the prostitutes pretended to recognise various male Aussie politicians (eg. ScoMo, Dutton) in the audience, outing them as regular clients who, like Angelo, hide their sexual dalliances and scandals behind their high offices of state.
The truly standout performance of Measure for Measure was undoubtedly Max Loban as Lucio, the flamboyant and promiscuous bachelor who hangs out with prostitutes and gentlemen alike, spreading the gossip and STD’s he gets from his friends. Dressed in a sumptuous feast of colourful cloth and the occasional feather, the golden-haired Loban seemed born to play the role of an utterly fabulous man who charms you one moment, and shocks you the next with his wicked tongue, penchant for lying, and unstoppable libido. Armed with an oversized cane that steadily grew in size throughout the play, this man was a walking dick joke, just waiting to explode all over the audience.
All in all, Dr Gregory and his cast and crew have created a bawdy, beautiful black comedy that favours the funny side of things, but doesn’t shy away from the darkest moments either. While the transition between them was occasionally jarring, the overall effect was one that allowed us to bear witness to a great miscarriage of justice, and still find a way to laugh, even when we felt that the punishment given wasn’t enough. Filled with in-your-face moments that vary from hilarious to shocking, this play demands that we examine how we view and navigate sex, corruption, and those in power. Probably best to leave the kids home for this one, because this production is about as adult as it gets!
4.5 out of 5 stars!
Whether you prefer comedies like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night, a classic tragedy like Hamlet, or something more complex like Measure for Measure, the Pop-Up Globe has something for everyone! However, the Pop-Up Globe has almost finished its run in Perth, and its last performance at Crown Perth will be in the first week of December. So make sure you go see one of the four plays before they close down and pack up for good! For tickets and more information, click here.
Images credit: Benjamin Adcock
