The Brag

(c) Heidrun Lohr

Densely populated with characters, subplots and politics, Measure for Measure is at risk of losing an audience – particularly those of us who haven’t studied or read the play, for whom unlocking Shakespeare’s compressed ‘language bombs’ can feel like mental gymnastics. While director Benedict Andrews put language front and centre in his STC production of War of the Roses (keeping sets static and sparse, and action to a minimum) in Measure for Measure he creates a rich webbing of visual stimuli, which help trigger those word bombs into cognitive explosion.

Andrews’ key staging apparatus is a revolving hotel room, with a network of cameras (both fixed and handheld) projecting live footage of the action onto screens at either side of the stage. There’s also a flat-screen television in the room, which alternates between the weather channel, news bulletins, soft-core porn, and Ren & Stimpy cartoons. The cumulative effect is an ever-shifting visual terrain – like watching a film on your laptop, in front of the TV, while your flatmate is telling you about their love life.

Besides being a cleverly choreographed technical feat, this staging device provides a few functions: it’s a clear visual metaphor for the play’s discussion about ‘production of truth’; a way of keeping the audience constantly engaged, and alert; and a practical solution to involving the audience more intimately in the performances, by allowing controlled close-ups. Of course, the constant multi-streaming of visuals also risks distracting your audience from the main game (what if your audience finds Ren & Stimpy more interesting than the actors?)

And the end of the day, it’s the cast of twelve that capture and keep their audience, and anchor Andrews’ superstructure of ideas to all the mess, sex, emotions and fun of life on Earth. Helen Thompson (wonderfully bawdy and boozy as an ageing ‘Madam’) and Toby Schmitz (as a sexed-up, nitwit troublemaker) were clear audience favourites, for comic value; but Damon Gameau (Balibo) and Robin McLeavy (A Streetcar Named Desire; The Loved Ones) have to take most of the credit for turning in the kind of charismatic performances that make you care about what happens on stage. It’s a riveting three hours at the theatre – and that’s no mean feat.

4/5

Dee Jefferson