Edinburgh Festivals

Fringe 2001

Beowulf
Felix Nobis

Patrick Hayes

Here is a solo theatrical performance of the ancient poem of mythical heroes, demonstrating that the art of storytelling is not extinct at the Fringe.

Although it may sound clichéd, once all stories were told like this: one man with a solitary candle recounting fantastic stories of warriors and monsters, of human strengths and weaknesses. Such a format is now rare, but it's to Felix Nobis' credit that he has the courage to present such a production to a contemporary audience at the Edinburgh Festival.

Felix Nobis initially appears to us in the dark, and is gradually lit by the simple, yet subtle lighting skills of Paul Denby. Initially seeming nervous, Nobis hesitates as if unsure of the best way to unburden himself of the wonderful story he wants to share with another generation, for them to cherish and pass on. Although this hesitation is an actor's tool, in reality Nobis, remarkably, played a large role in deciding how the poem should be presented, having himself translated it from the Old English and edited it for the production.

When he finally does speak, after having us on the edge of our seats waiting for the story to burst forth, any initial worries in the audience about whether such a format would seem outmoded are already gone. However, he then utters several lines straight from the past, the words conveyed with meaning, yet completely incomprehensible to a modern audience. This slowly and seamlessly merges into modern English and the story is told.

Nobis is not only an effective narrator, but also a skilled actor. It is to his credit that he often seems to become just a medium through which these ancient mythical characters, young and old, wicked and courageous, resurface to allow the legend to be played out again before our very eyes. The story recounts the life of the mighty warrior Beowulf who gains a kingdom through battling Grendel, the malevolent monster. Although edited to a third of its original length it, refreshingly, remains absolutely faithful in translation, with no attempt to modernise or to try to make the story more appealing to a modern audience.

The production demonstrates that epic stories, when presented to an audience, can still glow with colour and magic, awakening the imagination. Beowulf demonstrates that while the current attempt to present events in the minutest detail using special effects in cinema and theatre may be a passing fad, the skill and passion of a storyteller and his ability to construct mythical words in the imagination remains timeless.