Saturday, 1 November 2014

Comedy of Errors, Theatre by the Lake ***

The set of the Comedy of Errors
When looking at this production of farce and jollity, it is hard not to compare Keswick's production with the one at the globe earlier this year. As you would expect, this production does fall short of the Globe production. The farcical nature of the play is somewhat diminished in Keswick, where comedy is sought in all the wrong places and moments that should be getting belly laughs only result in scattered chuckles throughout the auditorium. There are also some performances that belong in am-dram rather than on, arguably, the finest stage outside the capital. However, despite these errors, the set design is joyous and some performances, especially Lucciana by Jennifer English, that far exceed those at the Globe. One Dromio being on crutches also broke the fourth wall effectively, even if only accidentally. Therefore, whilst several key issues let the piece down, it is still a strong romp which entertains it's audience.

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