Light at Midnight’s fierce and contemporary reimagining of Doctor Faustus is devilishly good enjoyable as Faustine will get a brief run on the Hope Theatre
“Try the devilled eggs”
Making an announcement a technique or one other about horror in theatre doesn’t typically go nicely for me. Having declared that it was a style that didn’t work for me, Terrifying Women proved me improper; having loved its sequel and stating that new writing is the way forward for profitable horror relatively than basic revivals, Light at Midnight Theatre ship the sort of reinterpretation in Faustine that has me consuming my phrases as soon as once more.
Writer Lucy Padwick makes use of Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus as a jumping-off level for a pointedly feminist reimagining, which features actual energy in its elevated specificity. Faustus’ thirst for data is often introduced as a fairly self-involved affair, he’s a person so naturally what he accumulates is for himself. Faustine nonetheless has others on her thoughts in addition to herself as a sufferer of endometriosis – her ambition is to finish all feminine ache and eradicate durations.
We first meet her as she fumes following an unsuccessful PhD software and as she rages in opposition to the patriarchy and suffers a tough cellphone name along with her mum, Faustine unwittingly summons Mephistophilis. And in time-honoured trend, the demon Mephi places a tempting deal on the desk, success in her mission to eradicate ache in trade for her soul some years down the road – is it a value price paying? Is it higher than a cope with God…?
Fiona Munro performs Mephi with an inordinate quantity of glee (she additionally directs). A bit 80s punk, a bit Val Garland from Glow Up, she’s good as she performs Bridget Jones-watching gal pal to win Faustine over to the darkish facet. And as Padwick performs the scientist with sensitivity, her dilemma feels all of the extra highly effective. She could be tempted by shenanigans with Tom Ellis and getting to satisfy Michelle Obama, Marie Curie and extra however the sense of sacrifice simply feels a lot extra actual.
The masque parts of the play are successfully executed, all of the extra so given the intimacy of the area and the restricted sources handy (wonderful work from puppeteer Charlie Daniells serving to immensely plus voiceover contributions from Comfort Fabian). And you possibly can’t assist however agree with the play’s thesis that society would have likely executed rather more to deal with interval ache if it have been males who suffered from it too. As it pushes to a blistering ending, it misses the potential for one massive trick I’d’ve appreciated to see it make however it will pushing the boundaries of style. And as it’s, I wouldn’t be stunned if we get to see extra of Faustine than this restricted engagement right here.