Ursula Strauss
posted 19 May 2006

The Royal Hunt of the Sun by Peter Schaffer, is all about belief held by a deep skeptic. Pizarro, leader of the Conquistadors, has never embraced the brutal and largely hypocritical faith of his Spanish countrymen. But in Schaffer's play, belief is something we cannot escape.

Pizarro's (Alan Armstrong) hidden emotional wounds and (as he approaches the end of his life) loss of interest in the mere spoils of victory, find their focus in the powerful character of Atahuallpa (Paterson Joseph). Atahuallpa believes completely that he is the son of God, and this belief provides a form and structure that allows the Inca nation to live peacefully. It is this self-belief that the empty Pizarro is drawn to, and that, combined with an all too human chemistry between the two, proves completely seductive. Belief becomes a contract, offering kinds of certainty and solace.

Schaffer points at our absolute need for belief, whilst insisting on closing off its possibilities - Atahuallpa doesn't rise from the dead, and Pizarro is deeply disappointed. Instead, Schaffer favours a discussion about ideological systems - motivation through suffering, as preached by the friar (a ferociously apt Paul Ritter) whose belief system is so logically inverted that it becomes grimly comical, versus the utopia-like but nonetheless enslaved condition of the Incas. It is clear where this production's sympathies lie: artless belief is better than cynicism, because it has less destructive effects on society. The cynical misuse of religion in justifying slaughter and looting is also well demonstrated.

By insisting so resolutely on the folly of various forms of belief, however, Schaffer closes off some of the dramatic possibilities. I don't think it's director Trevor Nunn's fault that the first half of the play never seems quite to take flight. The dialogue strains for a significance it never quite reaches. The real money comes with the clash of civilisations in the second half, the civilisations that are not so different in their desire to worship, and even in the forms of religion, yet are so different in their social expressions that the one must destroy the other.

Paterson Joseph shows great range as Atahuallpa and his commanding stage presence will surely find other vehicles. To a large extent he carries the drama of the second half, completely inhabiting the role. The old and young Martin (Malcolm Storry and Tristan Beint) also hit the right notes. Others in the cast, however, find it harder to bring their characters to life.

The action takes place on a rounded wooden platform that in look and feel speaks more of Swedish IKEA than Peru (the designer is Anthony Ward). Other imagery remains more congruent with the gorgeousness of the Inca culture represented by the costumes and gold items. The characters are often artfully arranged on the rather empty stage, in a style I have come to associate with Trevor Nunn's productions. This can sometimes come across as a bit sterile but here the formality is in keeping with the themes. Simple white sheets represent the Andes, and, rather more effectively, the river of blood created by the slaughter. All in all a worthwhile experience, but to draw a lot of contemporary parallels, as some reviewers have done, is to think outside of what has been presented.

Till 12 August 2006