If men in frocks are your thing, then you should really get down to see the revival of John Osborne’s A Patriot for Me, at the New Players theatre.

As one who can just dimly remember the ‘60’s, it wasn’t all Mini’s, miniskirts and the Beatles then. There was a good deal of repression and prejudice too.

It’s hard to imagine the Lady Chatterley trial taking place now, or the remarks of the prosecution QC to the jury. (“Is this the type of book you would wish your wife or your servants to read,” he famously asked).

John Osborne perhaps set out (in 1965) with the idea of slapping middle-class audiences, who might have shared this kind of view, in the face. His play deals (in a decadent world of Osborne’s own making) with the rise and fall of a soldier (Redl, played by a stolid Mark Crook). Redl’s Achilles heel is the fact that he is homosexual, and the play seems intent throughout on thrusting home a single point, that more people are gay than you might think.

It does of course, have one of the great set-pieces of sixties theatre, the transvestite ball, (banned on the public stages of the sixties) which opens the second Act and includes some very sub-Berlin style cabaret. Here, the idea seems to be that there are the dull and the rest, and to be one of the rest, a rather more open approach to sex might well be a requirement.

Its not a particularly deep thought, and Redl’s downfall comes because he embraces rather too much of the other world, while a 'respectable' (well-born, not Jewish) man like the lawyer Kuntz can get away with whatever he likes with impunity.

It’s all very wittily played but the point seems to be to epater les bourgeois, or outrage the rubes in Peoria, and at today’s distance from Britain’s once openly homophobic society, I’m not sure that it achieves all that much, apart from some good humour. There were two parties of schoolkids in the audience, which seemed to underline the fact that the play is no longer as thrilling or subversive as it might once have seemed.

This play is rarely performed (somehow, it managed to become the Evening Standard Play of the Year in 1965) for a few very good reasons.

One is the huge cast required to play it. The second is the costumes, which are the real stars of this production. I’ve rarely seen so much costume jewellery in one place at one time, and I have to say that the Countess (played either by Claire Bond or Victoria Grove – they alternate in the role) looked absolutely spectacular whenever she appeared. On the other hand, I’ve rarely seen such dangerous corsetry – bravely born - as that which restrains Jo Ball’s ample form in her role as Hilde.

The direction (by David Harris) is meticulous. It had to be in marshalling substantial amounts of furniture, Champagne glasses, dancers (choreography by Ian Brener), cigars (the nudity doesn’t even seem as disturbing as the smoking these days), candelabra and goodness knows what else, though everything was rather fussy, as I suppose it had to be. There were also two very good fight scenes (arranged by Jonathan Jaynes).

This is drawing room drama, often in drag, and it is much better when it is. However, John Osborne was sadly no Oscar Wilde, the play is much too long and the audience really deserved a bit more wit to accompany the decadence.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . CAST Alfred Redl Mark Crook August Siczynski Chris Casey Steinbauer Christopher Peacock Kupfer’s Seconds Robert Parkin, Jamie Chrispin Ludwig Max Von Kupfer Brendan Weakliam Privates Phillip Goldsmith, Jonathan Gabb, Lt.-Col Ludwig Von Möhl Peter Came Adjutant Mark McKenzie Maximilliam Von Taussig Marek Davies Albrecht John Hellman Waiters at Anna’s Phillip Goldsmith, Jonathan Gabb, Andy Solts Officers at Anna’s Jamie Chrispin, Christopher Peacock, Robert Parkin Whores Alana Sizeland, Jo Ball, Victoria Grove / Claire Bond Anna Alana Sizeland Hilde Jo Ball Stanitsin Chris Casey Col. Mischa Oblensky Redvers Lawson Gen. Conrad Von Hötzendorf Stephen Von Schreiber (Bernard Faricy playing matinees) Countess Sophia Delyanoff Victoria Grove / Claire Bond Judge Advocate Jaroslav Kunz Michael Gower Flunkeys Robert Parkin, Jonathan Gabb, Phillip Goldsmith Hofburg Guests Jamie Chrispin / Christopher Peacock, Claire Bond / Victoria Grove / Jo Ball, Alana Sizeland, Andy Solts Café Waiters Phillip Goldsmith, Robert Parkin, Jonathan Gabb Café Guests Stephen Moriaty, Bernard Faricy or Stephen von Schreiber, Jo Ball Young Man in Café Steve Lorient Paul Jonathan Gabb Privates Phillip Goldsmith, John Hellman Mark McKenzie Baron Von Epp John Sears Ferdy/Susanna Phillip Goldsmith Figaro Brendan Weakliam Lt. Stefan Kovacs Jamie Chrispin Marie-Antoinette Steve Lorient Tsarina Andy Solts Lady Godiva Jonathan Gabb Ball Guests Marek Davies, Stephen Moriaty, Mark McKenzie, Bernard Faricy or Stephen von Schreiber Flunkey Robert Parkin Shepherdess Chris Casey Albrecht as Columbine John Hellman Steinbauer as Medieval Lady Christopher Peacock Kunz as Nelson Michael Gower Boy Steve Lorient 2nd Lt. Victor Jerzabek Jonathan Gabb Hotel Waiters Phillip Goldsmith, Robert Parkin Hotel Guests Jo Ball, Stephen Moriaty, Bernard Faricy or Stephen von Schreiber, Alana Sizeland, Chris Casey Orderly Mark McKenzie, Andy Solts Mischa Lipschutz Robert Parkin Mitzi Heigel Alana Sizeland Minister Stephen Moriaty Voices of Deputies Chris Casey, Redvers Lawson, Andy Solts

Company Credits: Writer - . Director - . Lighting Designer - . Sound Designer - . Technical Operator - . Producer - . Company - . Cast: Actors Company Directed by David Harris Producer - David Harris. Designer - Belle Mundi. Production manager - Dan Rainsford. Lighting designer - Daniel Large. Sound designer - Chris Traves. Musical director - Jonathan Barker. Company manager/hair/make-up - Universino Sousa. Wardrobe - Sades Robinson. Stage manager - Rebecca Mason. Company voice - Margaret Braund. Choreography - Ian Brener. Fight director - Jonathan Jaynes. Press - Kristina Poliszczuk for Encore Publicity. Production electrician - Dan Harvey. Electrician - Charlie Hayday. Set - Michaelis Kokkoliadis and Greg Cox. Production: Producer/director: David Harris – Designer – Belle Mundi. Musical director: Jonathan Barker. Fight director: Jonathan Jaynes. Publicity: Kristina Poliszczuk for Encore Publicity

END

© Michael Spring Reviewed 9 October 2008. New Players Theatre (c) 2008

reviewed

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com