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The Good Soul of Szechuan

Published Wednesday 4 November 2009 at 17:35 by Natalie Anglesey

How refreshing to see Chris Honer’s exhilarating new production inject fresh life into Bertolt Brecht’s sometimes cumbersome classic.

David Harrower’s contemporary translation and Michael Pavelka’s deceptively simple, but brilliantly effective, corrugated iron set are the solid background for an exciting ensemble to re-enact the tale of Shen Te.

A cast of 15 is a huge outlay for a small regional repertory theatre even though it is considered one of the most prestigious in the country. But the director has hand-picked his actors well.

Cornelius Macarthy as Wang the water-seller is the narrator, also in charge of a supermarket trolley full of bottled water.

There’s an audio-visual device for the entrance and exit of the three gods played by Natasha Bain, John Cummins and Olwen May who exhort as much straight-faced humour as they can from their roles as deities.

There’s an impressive performance from Poppy Miller as the kind-hearted prostitute Shen Te, who neatly contrasts the radiance of love with her dual role as Shui Ta, her more serious and materially-minded relative. She also sings her challenging song beautifully.

There’s strong support from the fine ensemble, particularly Susan Twist as Mrs Shin and Kieran Hill as Yang Sun, Shen Te’s seducer and betrayer. David Sawer’s music is played by Tarek Merchant using several musical instruments.

This quality experience further enhances the reputation of the Library Theatre which has performed many successful productions of the German playwright’s works while in its present home.

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