22 Jun 2024
Make it Beautiful Theatre Co present a modern interpretation of the Arthurian tale at the Roman Theatre Festival. Deborah Heath is on a quest to find out more…
If I was looking to go out with a theatre company, I would consider Make it Beautiful to be not just an amusing and intelligent person to spend time with but my forever soulmate.
Alas, OVO, who clearly share their values, got in there first so I must be left as a jealous by-stander. Last year MIB knocked my socks off with their hilariously clever ‘Canterbury Improv Tales’ featuring their unique blend of comedy, audience participation and reverence for well-loved traditional tales. So I had high hopes for ‘Gawain and The Green Knight’ which is a a 14th century Camelot verse-tale by an unknown author.
Without giving spoilers, this is an Arthurian legend about Gawain, a rather wet Knight who is given a challenge that takes him not only out of his comfort zone but on a very strange and perilous quest. Writers and performers Felix Grainger and Gabiel Fogarty-Graveson give this a new spin by presenting Camelot Corp with Arthur the CEO and Lancelot his enthusiastic number 2.
Gawain is just an ordinary employee, too ordinary in fact. You know, the sort of person who ends up in a job, goes on all their silly away days, doesn’t question how hard they have to work, has a latte and flapjack every morning etc. I’m sure everyone in the audience had been a Gawain at some point or at least questioned their boss’ strange initiatives thus the writers have made Gawain so easy to identify with.
Arthur and Lance want to bring him out of himself to see if he really fits their brand. It’s a great way to present this tale to a modern audience.
The play opens at Camelot Corp ; it is a bold and funny start with a great range of comedy from physical to character driven. I loved the slow-motion sections, the playing with height differences and the tea/coffee mix up. Act II is more traditional perhaps, exploring the original story, albeit with Make It Beautiful twists and turns.
Both approaches worked well for me. Kezia Tomsett’s incidental music was expertly composed for the show, building up tension and highlighting Gawain’s plight beautifully. If in the future, the budget would stretch to a live band it would be even better.
Michelle Jury’s costume design was brilliant, my favourite being the Dryad’s outfit in Act II. I would have loved to see some floaty red fabric during the decapitation scene to add to the comedy. The set design (Chris Jones) was fresh and natural which combined with the way Kelly Ann Stewart directed the company to use the fantastic setting of the Roman Theatre really engulfed us in Gawain’s journey.
Another contributing factor to this success was the verse narration from Mark O’Sullivan which really set the right tone and the added comedy of the interaction with the actors was the icing on the cake. In terms of production values, I only really have one gripe; the script referred often to an axe, yet it was always represented by a sword. Changing the words probably would have been the better option because stylistically the sword carried more finesse than an axe would have done.
The cast of four were a very well-functioning team. Gabriel Fogarty Graveson, who has impressed me before with his quick-change character realisations, was in his element with my particular favourite portrayal being the H.R. Lady.
Cara Steele’s Arthur was terrifyingly realistic and again, she proved herself to be a very versatile and engaging actor throughout the show. Laura Pujos conveyed a serene mastery of her craft with her gentle Gwynne, mysterious Hetty and gorgeous singing voice. I loved the understated way in which she spoke, particularly during the not-quite love scenes drawing the audience in with every word.
Our hero Gawain was played with sympathetic power by Felix Grainger. I am sure we all felt his work-place dissatisfaction, confusion and need to prove himself. When he did become a hero it felt like a personal triumph. However, the idea of what a hero really is, is best explained by this fantastic piece of theatre so rather than let me tell you, please, please, please get yourself a ticket before the end of the run. You will not regret it, just don’t ask Make it Beautiful out on a date because like Gawain, I am still plucking up the courage.
All photos by Elliott Franks
