A Comedy of Errors

A Comedy of Errors 
The Lowry
Saturday 27th October

7/10

I WENT into The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of ‘A Comedy of Errors’ with a very high horizon of expectations. Knowing the show, ‘Shakespeare’s Pantomime’, like the back of my hand and it being my favorite of his entire works, the RSC had a tall order to fulfill. Also, with the main characters being occupied by Waterloo Road star, Jason Merrells and his real-life brother Simon, I figured that I was going to see something special. On the whole, it was enjoyable, but certainly not as top notch as one would expect from the world-renowned company.

As with all RSC productions, the staging symbolized one of the main themes, which here was the shipwreck which separated the Antipholus and Dromio twins when they were young. The floaty white sail-like material that dangled from the rafters, and wooden floor made for a simple, but nice acting space for the company to tell their tale. The ever-present live band, dressed as roustabouts, was a stroke of genius on the director’s part and made the singing interludes more entertaining.

As per usual, the twins stole the show. Playing the fools clearly came as second nature to the two actors, as they made their roles into outlandishly camp, animated and wholly loveable caricatures. To keep that energy and vibrancy for the entire 155 minutes is a skill which few possess, but these young men kept it in abundance.

The clever casting of the Merrell brothers as the Antiphlous twins worked in that they sound, and to an extent, look the same, however, they also act the same. Their acting skills are not to be degraded, but they are very obviously better suited to the small screen than a sprawling stage. Hearing Shakespeare in a decidedly northern accent was, for a northerner, quite surreal, even-more-so when you consider they are from Essex! Saying that, Shakespeare is not just something you can expect to pick up first time round. It takes years to perfect, and they both performed well for their first season with the RSC.

Overall, it was an enjoyable night, with a fair bit of laughter and the odd star turn, like Siobhan Redmond as suffering wife Adriana. I think that if I wasn’t so attached to The Comedy of Errors and the RSC, then I would probably have taken more from the production. Still, I enjoyed my night and would love to see the actors playing the two twins take different roles, as they shone brightly. Certainly one to watch, but try not to expect too much. Just enjoy!

Thomas Norman