Farinelli Charms the King and the Audience

Farinelli and the King, now at the Belasco, is a wonderous play. It is slightly magical, beautiful musically, a little funny and utterly charming without being twee. By way of ingenious use of staging, candlelight and proscenium build out, the Belasco feels intimate, although I would avoid the balcony for this show.

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Mark Rylance plays the King of Spain who suffers from delusions and depression. The show opens with Mr. Rylance having a discussion with a goldfish, a moment he can’t distinguish between dream or nightmare. The audience can feel the weight of his position in the soliloquy. As King he is as trapped in his role as the goldfish is trapped in the bowl.

Farinelli (Sam Crane), left, and King Philippe V (Mark Rylance

Mr. Rylance is once again charming in a period role. He can transition from funny to enraged to incompetent in a flash. The Queen (a lovely tempered Melody Grove) wants to help her King recover and keep the monsters, imagined and real, at bay.  The royal court, embodied by Edward Pell as his chief minister – in over the top outfits and wigs, but a measured performance, is ready to force the King to abdicate. The chief minister dispatches the Queen to take over the court.

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In London, the Queen hears the Opera star Farinelli, and is convinced that his voice will help to stabilize the King. When Farinelli does arrive and sing, the moment is transformative. Watching the King listen to the music the audience can see the beauty and calmness spread across his face, and the relaxation in his carriage. Farinelli is played by Sam Crane in a touching performance as he grows to love the King and the Queen. Farinelli is sung, marvelously, by Iestyn Davies (or the equally sublime James Hall). During the moments of song, the actor and the singer concurrently play Farinelli shadowing one another: they dress the same, and Mr. Crane follows the singer’s lead in demeanor and gesture.

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Farinelli joins the King and Queen both in court and later when they take up residence outside Madrid. The King is able to recuperate, and Farinelli drops his mask as performer to embrace his full personality. Of course, Kings have responsibilities, and their time away from court must come to an end, but it was a moment that was precious to the three and a joy to watch.

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Farinelli and the King feels like a moment captured in amber, a bit dreamy and otherworldly in the best possible sense. Director John Dove gives the play room to grow organically from the actors involved. Jonathan Fensom’s designs enhance the feeling of being let in on a small secret performance. I am not an Opera fan, but Mr. Davies’ performance of Handel’s pieces are like small presents from the past to us today.

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Farinelli and the King | Playwright: Claire van Kampen| Director: John Dove | Cast: Mark Rylance, Sam Crane, Melody Grove, Huss Garbiya, Colin Hurley, Edward Pell, Iestyn Davies, James Hall

Twelfe Night in Rare Form at the Belasco

Richard Shakespeare’s Twelfe Night is a comically complex piece of puffery, executed to perfection onstage at the Belasco Theatre by Shakespeare’s Globe productions.  The synopsis should be read before the piece begins, but pre-performance stage rituals prevent most of the audience from doing so.  Never mind, the Twelfe Night, in this abridged format, takes pains to keep the audience up to speed on the current identity of the many characters.

In short, there is a shipwrecked young woman, Viola, who is one of only 2 survivors of a disaster at sea.  Stranded in Illyria, she disguises herself as a young man, Cesario, and enters the service of Duke Orsino.  Duke Orsino is bewitched by the beauty of fair Olivia, but Olivia is in mourning and will not receive any suitors.  The Duke sends Cesario to plead his case, but Olivia falls in love with the messenger, not the sender.

Samuel Barnett as Viola (as Ceserio) & Mark Rylance as Olivia

Meanwhile, Olivia’s house is full of shenanigans.  She has a suitor in residence, Sir Andrew Aguecheck, a housemaid, a fool, the steward Malvolio, and a cousin, Sir Toby Belch all visiting the estate.  As celebrations of twelfth night festivities begin, Malvolio enters to scold the household at the frivolity - while the lady of the house is in mourning.  The party, unfairly chastised, concocts a plan to embarrass Malvolio in front of his mistress Olivia.

Meanwhile elsewhere, Viola’s twin brother was not, as thought, drowned.  The brother, Sebastian, and his friend Antonio proceed to Orsino’s court, and thereafter he is introduced to the lady Olivia’s company.  Chaos ensues, as if it hadn’t ensued already.

As it would be in Shakespeare’s time, the sparkling cast is all male. Mark Rylance proves wonderful as Olivia, a woman who is delighted to find inappropriate passion and annoyed at the inability to quench it.  Samuel Barnett somehow pulls off Viola pretending to be a man, and uncomfortable with the duplicity.  His is a strong performance, necessary when playing opposite Mr. Rylance.

Stephen Fry as Malvolio and Mark Rylance

I would be remiss not to mention Stephen Fry as Malvolio.  Having been a long time fan, his New York premiere was a fantastic surprise to me (I should have investigated more thoroughly, but sometimes the best gifts are the unexpected).  His Malvolio was given the flare of Lord Melchett, and was a joy to behold.

The set was created as homage to the great halls of the aristocracy, flanked with audience members.  Director Tim Carroll made wonderful use of the space, the play and this most excellent cast in this wonderful performance of Twelfe Night.

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Twelfe Night (in rep with King Richard The Third)

Playwright: William Shakespeare

Director: Tim Carroll

Cast: Mark Rylance, Samuel Barnett, Stephen Fry, Liam Brennan, Colin Hurley, Paul Chahidi, Peter Hamilton Dyer, Jospeh Timms, Angus Wright

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