Robert Tanitch reviews A Mad World My Masters at Barbican Theatre, London EC2
When Thomas Middleton’s comedy premiered in 1605 it was acted by children. The mind boggles. Were they as crude as the actors are in Sean Foley’s production for the Royal Shakespeare Company? The text is one vulgar innuendo after another.
The farce has all the delicacy and good taste of a Carry On film. Had it been revived 40 years ago, it would have been a great idea to cast Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Williams, Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Connor et al in the leading roles.
Foyley and Phil Porter have edited and updated the text to the 1950’s and set the action in a seedy jazz club in Soho.
Middleton’s play is practically unknown. This is only the second revival since the 17th century. The last was at Shakespeare’s Globe in 1998. I should have preferred to have seen this Jacobean romp set in the Jacobean era.
Foley is a clever director of farce and the actors, led by Ian Redford, revel in the debauchery, the physical comic business and the rude asides to the audience. The indignity a replica of Michelangelo’s David suffers has to be seen to be believed.
The names of many of the characters have also been changed to make them smuttier. The subject matter, however, remains the same: money and sex.
There are two stories. The first story is about Captain Dick Follywit, who is broke and deals with his many stratagems, pranks and disguises (lord, drag queen, actor) to steal his uncle’s money.
The uncle, Sir Bounteous Peersucker, is so very bounteous with his money, jewels and watch that he gives them all away. He even invites his robbers to dinner. The poor man suffers many humiliations without ever once realising he is being humiliated
The second story concerns the efforts of the self-flagellating Penitent Brothel to bed Mrs Littledick, the sexy wife of a deeply jealous husband. The comic climax is presented in outrageous shadow-play, a venereal dream come true.
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