Queen Elizabeth II handed away simply 5 months in the past, so Frangipane Productions’ present has gone by means of preliminary concept, script, commissioning and rehearsals in below that point. It feels a really quick turnaround for a present based mostly in regards to the monarch’s dying. But I approached The Q with an open thoughts and hope. Especially because it was enjoying on the OSO Arts Centre, a stunning theatre in Barnes that’s making nice steps to develop into one other very important fringe venue. Ruth (Madeleine Page) is a physician worn down by life. Suspended after being caught in a compromising place with a affected person, she finds…
Rating
Good
Undoubtedly humorous, but this play centred round queueing to view the Queen’s coffin lacks sufficient focus to make it memorable, apart from for Barry’s unbelievable transformation.
Queen Elizabeth II handed away simply 5 months in the past, so Frangipane Productions’ present has gone by means of preliminary concept, script, commissioning and rehearsals in below that point. It feels a really quick turnaround for a present based mostly in regards to the monarch’s dying. But I approached The Q with an open thoughts and hope. Especially because it was enjoying on the OSO Arts Centre, a stunning theatre in Barnes that’s making nice steps to develop into one other very important fringe venue.
Ruth (Madeleine Page) is a physician worn down by life. Suspended after being caught in a compromising place with a affected person, she finds herself attending to know aged neighbour, Barry (Mansel David) who can be a affected person. She’s lately needed to inform him he solely has months to stay. Through this unusual friendship she one way or the other finds herself within the queue to view the Queen’s coffin.
There is little doubt Gavin Fleming‘s script, in addition to being an attention-grabbing idea, could be very humorous. There are laughs aplenty from the second Ruth blurts out “cancer” as she enters the stage – not essentially the most sympathetic solution to break the information to Barry. If something, there are too many gags, too scattergun. Much of their dialog will get misplaced, with no directorial allowance given for the laughter to die down earlier than launching into the following gag.
But as humorous as it could be, the primary half appears crammed with pointless scene setting. There’s a purpose a lot fringe theatre is simply an hour lengthy: it forces a tightness in script, dictating that each scene be very important and eliminating pointless filler. A present can grow to be one thing longer as soon as it has constructed a stable core. To go straight in with a two-half play very recent off the web page can, and right here does, threat overstaying its welcome. There is ample scope to slash thirty minutes from The Q and it might develop into a way more succinct piece of theatre to construct from.
The second half at the least has barely higher focus, as Ruth and Barry (whose transformation is the actual present stealer) be a part of the queue with couple from hell Lillian (Ellana Gilbert) and Walter (Billy Gurney). Nice use of the house sees them leaving the stage and getting back from one other course to present the texture of transferring alongside the road. It’s then cleverly punctuated with BBC News clips from the occasion, displaying the insanity and Britishness of queueing for 14 hours!
The actual saving grace is Page and David’s performances. Ruth and Barry’s relationship builds from affected person/ physician to confidants as they open up to one another. The pair play splendidly off one another, with David particularly handing over a star efficiency, which calls for a definite change in model between the 2 halves as he prepares himself for the queue. Unfortunately, the supporting characters don’t match up, thrown in with none nice depth and as soon as extra giving a way of filler.
It’s additionally fairly laborious to work out simply what The Q needs to be or say to its viewers? Again it’s that scattergun method that lets it down, failing to present correct focus. Is this about accepting dying, celebrating life, tolerance for people who find themselves a bit of unusual? Come the tip, there’s a feeling that as a lot as I’ve laughed on the absurdity of sure moments, general it simply provides little or no else.
So again to asking is it too quickly for a play in regards to the Queen’s dying? Not in any respect. But this isn’t that play. In making an attempt to be present and related, it feels rushed and under-developed. The Q has its enjoyable moments, however it simply doesn’t have sufficient depth to make it memorable. Having stated all that although, maybe it’s value trying out for Barry’s transformation alone?
Written by: Gavin Fleming
Produced by: Frangipane Productions
The Q performs at OSO Arts Centre till 28 January 2023. Further info and bookings might be discovered right here.