The Glorious French Revolution (or: why sometimes it takes a guillotine to get anything done) by award-winning YESYESNONO productions premiered this week at the New Diorama Theatre in a production that includes a bouncy castle, primary school gymnastics apparatus, and a true-to-scale guillotine, along with many other silly things.
Written and directed by co-founder Sam Ward, and devised with the company, this brand-new piece of irreverent political satire is an utterly expert execution (pardon the pun) of Brechtian techniques. It is rare to see a production that is so purely routed in one abstract style – so it was refreshing in its surety of exactly what it was trying to do.
In this vein, the cast consists of five actors portraying a multitude of characters in a mastery of multi-rolling. Placards are included, as is appropriate, but are not necessary for identifying personas as each one is blatantly obvious in its stereotyping, as is also appropriate.
We meet every archetype along the way to the inevitable end. From a pompous but beautifully balletic King Louis IVX, a rootin’ tootin’ Yankee-fied Lafayette, the unsettlingly familiar educated Bourgeoisie, and (my personal favourite) the hyped up unhinged washerwomen. It is clear to see that this is a true ensemble piece at its core, which is ideal for a story about the most infamous people’s revolution in European history.
Every performance is stellar, and the amount of physical exertion required from all of these actors is immense, but I must say that Joe Boylan was a particular stand-out. For example, during a scene depicting the September prison massacres and mass decapitations of 1792, he is simply running on a treadmill for the entire epic sequence. His stationary momentum amongst the madness had me completely transfixed.
Tom Foskett-Barnes’s sound design was absolutely exquisite. A variety of layered compositions underscored most of the piece to enhance the audience’s environmental experience without ever overpowering the actors (except when it wanted to).
Hazel Low and Han Sayles equally impress with their respective set/ costume and lighting designs, having curated a bold and purposely chaotic visual aesthetic that perfectly complements the over-the-top nature of the performance style.
It is theatre, it is performance art, it is a playground of carefully orchestrated creative carnage with a clear and overt political message. With this production, we are told the story of the French Revolution as it has never been told before (this is not les mis), but are left with a big question still. Is the revolution over? In summary, Bertolt Brecht would be proud.
Rating: ★★★★★ (Excellent)
The Glorious French Revolution is playing at The New Diorama Theatre until 14th December 2024
