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| REVIEWS | BY ILLTYD HARRINGTON |
 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum |
FUNNY Thing has opened to wild enthusiasm and the actors, musicians, set designer and director have every right to be well pleased. The book is by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart from the works of Plautus and the score was by the then young Stephen Sondheim. At 42 years old, it stands the test of time. This, I believe, is its third London outing. In brief, a conniving, sly slave Pseudolus (Desmond Barrit) sets the scene in ancient Rome where his hen-pecked master Senex (Sam Kelly), shrewish wife Domina (Isla Blair) and son Hero (Vince Leigh) are stock figures in farce and pantomime. Barrit is a worthy successor to Broadway’s Zero Mostel and Nathan Lane and London’s Frankie Howerd and Roy Hudd. He engages immediately and intimately with the audience and his eye-rolling and lewd asides sets the pace, while he contrives to buy his freedom. However, life becomes complicated when the next door neighbour and brothel-keeper Lycus (David Schneider) has a brand new virgin on his books. Problems arise when Senex arrives back prematurely from the country. Their other next door neighbour, Erronius (Harry Towb), an old man has returned from a long sea voyage where he has been seeking his long-lost daughter. Of course it is the virgin. Meanwhile a muscular warrior Gloriosus (Philip Quast) arrives to claim her. He appears to have ordered her from a catalogue. All is resolved when the old man discovers that the warrior and the virgin are in fact his long-lost children. Funny Thing took five years to write and according to this version of history life in Rome 200 BC was a romp. Barrit is fine comedian and draws the laughter towards him. Sam Kelly carries the banner and the burden as well as the in-built invasion of all hag-ridden men down the ages. His cringing and hidden defiance of Domina is hilarious. Isla Blair is no new comer to the role and her authoritarianism is wickedly undermined. All in all, an evening of laughter and technical accomplishment, well suited to the Oliver auditorium. Edward Hall directs with panache, Julian Crouch’s design while Rob Ashford’s choreography is vigorous and amusing and the audience is able to enjoy £10 subsided seats . If you go to the forum you will come away feeling a Funny Thing happened to you for two glorious hours at the Southbank. Until July 28 0207 452 3000 |
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