Letter: A Must-See Superb Performance of Shakespeare’s ‘Problem Play’

Published on: 25 Oct, 2019
Updated on: 25 Oct, 2019

Hannah Morrish and Gavin Fowler – Photo Matt Periera

From Donall Dempsey

In response to: Stage Dragon: All’s Well That Ends Well – Guildford Shakespeare Company

Guildford Shakespeare Company can’t seem to shake off their habit of managing to surpass themselves with every latest production.

Or to hear Othello put it so succinctly, “’twas strange, ’twas passing strange”. Or as All’s Well That Ends Well tells it here, “makes fair gifts fairer”.

This was the first time I had a chance to see this rarely performed play, with the amazing base progression of Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain swelling until it bursts and tears into our senses.

“And if you don’t love me now
You will never love me again!”

And here at the beginning of the play, we have a prefiguring of its end. Right from the start we are enthralled and dragged into the core of the play. And what a thing this play is in the hands of adapter and director.

Nine characters into six actors? One might think this wouldn’t compute but they all excel in being whoever they are. A superb casting and a wonderful example of ensemble acting.

Guildford Shakespeare Company does the text proud. They really get behind the words and then inhabit them so they possess the personality, inhabiting the character from the core.

They are not just actors spouting lines or going through their Shakespearean motions but become so believable and so real in every word. And so the character comes alive for us.

But there are no words to even suggest how brilliant a performance Robert Mountford wrings from the vainglorious Parolles. He is a lightning bolt poured into a slim grey suit that can barely contain his energy of arms and legs and posturing and posing.

He is a great delight in all he does, whether it be in words or even the spaces between the words. I happened to bump into him a few days after and he was such a charming man and praised his wonderful director.

And indeed Tom Littler has pulled out all the innovative stops in this production of All’s Well. It sparkles with clarity and invention.

Hannah Morrish’s Helena is outstanding and gives such an intense performance with every emotion seen in every movement and word. Her pain and her devotion are written into everything she does. She can do no wrong. She is simply stunning.
Stefan Bednarczyk’s Lafew displays the perfect composure and calmness of a statesman. He exudes perfection in every nuance and gesture, down to his fingertips. And indeed it is a beautiful moment when he transposes the famous songs to fragile acoustic piano.

The use of music was a splendid touch, almost as if it were another character commenting on what was happening, the inner emotions of the characters coming out in a judicious use of Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins and Patti Smith.
One minute they would be blaring from a Seventies’ dancette and then, as if one could write an emotion on the air and make it visible, on the two acoustic pianos played so carefully and compassionately by Stefan Bednarczyk and Ceri-Lyn Cissone.

Miranda Foster doubles up as (or rather triples up) as three separate characters and is simply out of this world in all three, as the Countess of Rousillon, the Queen (love the shift of gender here and the slant it gives) or Diana’s mother.

She is a different entity whoever she is playing and is totally convincing. She is Ariel‘s words to the very syllable and we flame in amazement as she sometimes divides and “burns in many”. A bravura performance.

Ceri-Lyn Cissone also assumes various roles to great success being both Diana and soldier as well as being the other beautiful pianist.

Gavin Fowler has the hardest part as Bertram who rejects our heroine not once but twice and the second time coerced only by the threat of the Queen’s power. He manfully plays the part with all his dishonourable “honour” and shameful selfish behaviour with great gusto.

And therein lies the problem, for hero and heroine. This comedy, unlike other shiny comedies, has of course attained the “problem play” tag. Aye, there’s the rub.

Yes we have all the usual fairy tale-ish elements, ye olde bed trick and exchange of rings. Then there is the rush to tidy it all up for a happy ending.

But the problem play’s inherent darkness sets it on a collusion course with the fairy tale. The sweetness of the fairy tale motif tangling with a rather modern philosophical debate of what “honour” is.

Both principals have a lot of growing up to do and during the play, they are a work in progress; they have to grow into their real selves. This is often a painful experience and the truths about oneself may not be the easiest to bear or what they would like.
Helena in all her puppy love for Bertram without a solid foundation or of any real coming together. She longs for him like the love expressed in the perfect songs we hear, longing without experience.

Demanding his love like a prize without ever thinking does he want her or not. He certainly doesn’t and is only forced into this “fixed” marriage. One can’t make one love one? Can one?

They are both made free to do what they want by the death of their fathers. What Helena wants is not what Bertram wants. He wants to be free and able to find his own love and honour on the battlefield.

This word “honour” is the crux, meaning honesty back in the day and we have a very honest woman and a very dishonourable man, despite his honourable status. If this was the other way and the woman was made to marry the man we would be up in arms.

Bertram isn’t worth it but trying telling Helena that. She will have to grow up and realise she both has him and has him not. “Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie…” she tells us and she may have to face the facts without the help of fairy tale finishes or by the Queen’s say-so.

We get a glimpse of this in the ending as, like the beginning, we find her sad in her room like some teenager with the songs teaching her their wise wisdom. The “web of our life is a mingled yarn, both good and ill together”. Real life.

All’s well that ends well, you say. Not quite. As the Queen puts it “…all yet seems well” which is not the same thing.

“And if it end so meet…” oh such an ominous IF, such a conditional qualifier where there should be a glowing certainty.

“If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly
I’ll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly”.

A superb production from a truly outstanding cast. If I had the money, I would go see it night after night just to be in the presence of such greatness. A must see.