REVIEW: Comedy of Errors (STC)
Another op’nin’, another show: #3 on this week’s gauntlet is bringing me downtown to Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre down 7th Street for the Bard’s Comedy of Errors. In what seems to be a pattern for them, it’s a musical adaptation with original songs by Michael Bruce. I will admit: my hopes weren’t high after their last musical outing in As You Like It, but I’m happy to report that my expectations were outmatched. It’s not a perfect affair, but it is an enjoyable one.
Book/Music
Nobody dies in this one, folks. (Which surprised my plus-one, who’d only been familiar with the tragedies.) The plot follows two sets of twins that were split apart at sea by a storm; their father, seeking to find them, is found unlawfully in the port of Ephesus and sentenced to die. While he awaits his fate, two of the separate twins, Dromio and Antipholus, arrive in Ephesus on business from Syracuse. Before long, their identically named siblings, having been raised on Ephesus, arrive to the plaza. But the arrivals are staggered such that each brother mistakes one for the other, leading to a shuffle of wealth and status. (Hijinks, of course, ensue.) A proto-slapstick as it were, it makes for a great family outing. It’s a light-hearted sequence of conundra that is nothing offensive nor complex. The musical element is a bit of an afterthought, though, which puzzled me. Each song feels forced— why do we need a song, exactly? We’ve only been putting this show on for hundreds of years now. But necessity question aside, they’re not even that bad. In fact, the finale song is so catchy, I had to go ask the house staff if it was a real tune that I could get on Spotify (it isn’t.) I’ve sat through many a worse score in my day; why a piece that didn’t need one got one this decent, perhaps we’ll never know. 7/10
Acting
It was, frankly, a stroke of brilliance to cast the Dromios with Alex Brightman and David Fynn, who each originated the lead roles in the Broadway and West End School of Rocks respectively. The former is of course notable for his breakthrough role as the titular poltergeist in Beetlejuice on Broadway; if you’re one of the many, many fans of that show, then you’ll be pleased to hear that Brightman’s penchant for chuckly improvisation remains. Bard in their own senses, he and Fynn serve us wonderfully with humor and a cheeky inquisitiveness that brightens up the show’s flavor. Christian Thompson and Ralph Adriel Johnson arrive as the Antipholi with a more contrasting presence. If the Dromios are similarly effective sidekicks, each Antipholus carries swagger differently. Thompson’s, less powerful and confident as a stranger in a strange land, foils humorously with the more headstrong (but rarely seen) behavior of Johnson’s. But of course, it’s the mix of chemistry between all four that makes Errors, and Godwin’s production has steered clear of pretty much any. 8/10
Production
Artistic Director Simon Godwin helms this production — the only actual Shakespeare piece in their entire season, curiously. And though the gimmick of musicality only barely paid off, most of the remaining artistic elements provide a theme park-like whimsy that is definitively analog. Yet, some choices stuck out to me, such as hovering musicians around the stage like flies to fish despite not being in a number for several lines. But at least their abode, Ceci Calf’s compact set, is colorful, textured, and never claustrophobic; just the right amount of busy. Alejo Vietti’s costumes are a varied delight, if you ignore their loud bisque-ity. Everyone is just very yellow, all the time, for no apparent reason beyond expressing “the colors of the Mediterranean” —- which I presume features a bit more hues. 7/10
Viz
The briny aesthetic introduces the setting, the isle of Ephesus, well. On the wings are nets, fish stands, octopi, and even a large herald bell. The key art carries it to your seat with imagery of a chaotic capsize spilling the twin twins into the sea. Holding all of this back is a sheer screen that only vaguely looks like waves on the sea; the actual staging behind it unfairly obscured. 7/10
Verdict
Comedy of Errors slithers past mediocrity to be a heartfelt and funny affair, helped immensely by its imported pair of Dromios and a score that pleasantly surprises. 29/40
