Miriam Gillinson
posted 20 July 2007

The Arcola is such a trek that reaching this show was a performance in itself, but I was convinced it would be worth it. Director William Gaskill is a bit of a legend, and Calderon’s 17th century morality tale has positively Pirandello-like overtones. Unfortunately, The Great Theatre of The World turns out to be an occasionally entertaining, but mostly un-compelling and consistently un-musical affair. It almost feels like a nativity play: papier-mâché planets hang from metal poles, robust morals are preached and the entire cast sing (badly). Oh, and God sports a turban.

Despite this headgear, God turns out to be the one consistently convincing element of this production. He begins the play in the guise of director, revealing his plan for a show to celebrate his power. Madhav Sharma opens the play convincingly in the part, despite having to deliver his monologue with the aid of a rather sad papier-mâché globe. Sharma speaks beautifully and possesses real dignity: his description of the ‘golden lamp of day’ and ‘diamond’ moon resonate warmly, strongly round the theatre. God quickly brings Earth to life to kick-start his show, assigning her the role of stage-manager. The remaining actors are cast as the players and in a modest, but striking scene the actors’ roles are decided. As they’re allotted their parts – Rich man, King, Beggar, Beauty, and, rather strangely, a Still-born child – fate’s anonymity is starkly captured. The actors play this moment mostly for laughs – encouraged in part by Adrian Mitchell’s cheeky translation – but in doing so brush past some of play’s darker implications.

The actors’ performances are hard to gauge, since the archetypal characters of a mystery play are difficult to do much with. On top of this, God’s final judgement awaits the actors at curtain-down: if they play their part with ‘understanding in their hearts’, their reward is a place in Heaven. Even a saint would be nervous. Excuses aside, the actors still seem a little too young and a little too light to pull off their roles. Sharma as God is irreproachable and entrancing – it is his actors that let him down. The beggar girl (played with an unrelenting intensity by Aoife McMahon) is the only one who acts honestly. She also gets some of the play’s best and most poetic lines: ‘My need is an outlaw.’ Wunmi Mosaku as Earth also evolves nicely, though she could do with being a fair bit older and wiser. Whilst the remaining actors try their best, they can do little to fill out their caricatured, rather silly roles.

It also took me a while to come to terms with the set. It’s not that it’s complicated – quite the opposite in fact – but it is hard to understand designer John Bausor’s intended effect. The whole thing has the feel of a school production, which I dearly hope was the aim. Whatever the purpose of this aesthetic choice, it looks like the director and designer had a lot of fun with it. Their enthusiasm is catching, and despite my initial resistance, the defiantly hodgepodge feel to this show grew on me. The real coup de tat comes about half way through, when the screens on-stage slam open and reveal God sat at his throne to watch the show. It is here he remains for the play’s duration; God transfixed by his performers and us in turn transfixed by him.

For some reason I’m yet to fully fathom, I left this show beaming. I can’t tell you exactly why, since most of the time I found it faintly ridiculous. Overall, it could have been slightly scarier and far more cohesive – yes it was light and entertaining, but what about the juicy Judgement Day stuff? Why do we get shown God and Heaven, but miss out on the characters passing through Purgatory and Hell? It’s just not Christian. Nevertheless, there is something undeniably endearing about the actors, their words and the production as a whole. I couldn’t help but be drawn to the play and the message it hammers home: Good things happen to Good People and Bad things to Bad People. That at least is something to believe in.

Till 18 August 2007