performingarts
The Threepenny Opera Mr Dave Prescott
At the end of the Christmas term it was pleasing to have good audience numbers to see Brecht and Weill’s The Threepenny Opera in the school theatre
Not an easy piece, but with a clear moral, the play raises many questions, and points an accusing finger at society – both the hypocritical society of Victorian England where the play is set, and the parallel hypocrisies of our modern age. A criminal buying favour from those in authority and being rewarded with a title he has paid for… this could surely never happen in real life? The ensemble opening, with a threatening rendition of the best known song in the show, Mack the Knife, set the tone, and the chorus of beggars, police and harlots was indeed vital in setting the scene throughout the play. As has often been said, the chorus in such productions makes or breaks the piece, and this year the chorus was particularly strong. In fact, Mr Appleby commented on the worrying veracity of those performing their night-time roles in sordid Soho. Ben Cave as Mack the Knife was at times, and as necessary, sinister or charming, threatening or ingratiating, and his singing with Beth Mills as Mrs Peachum, Rosie Tressler as Jenny, and Laura Dean as Polly Peachum had conviction and presence. Beth Mills was totally confident on stage, and her scenes with Richard Perry as Mr Peachum, added the comic lightness that was needed. Richard, as the coordinator of all beggars on the streets in London, was as seedy as you could wish. Rob Taylor as Tiger Brown, the Chief of Police and confidant of Mack, received special mention by many for his gravitas and stage presence. His final appearance as the royal messenger, high on the lighting gallery astride a pantomime horse, was an image for all health and safety officers to forget. The famous Jealousy Duet sung by Mack’s two wives was suitably catty,
70
the wheatleyan 2006/07
and Francesca Clifford as Lucy Brown and Laura Dean spat suitable feathers. As Polly Peachum, Laura had real range, from simpering at the side of her new love, to threatening and bullying Mack’s gang as she takes control. The entire cast was consistently strong in their performances, and handled the sometimes complex music of Kurt Weill with maturity and style. The band, stashed away in a claustrophobically tiny space off stage, moved the piece along at pace and with talent. The musical direction of Mr BJ Sutton was subtle and, as ever, most professional. The production sadly marked the demise of the huge set that has occupied the theatre for two years. The multi-roomed two storey house that was built by Mr West for A Small Family Business, transformed into pirate ships and Cornish cliffs for The Pirates of Penzance, and then morphed into an American fairground and book depository for Assassins, before finally becoming a Victorian street (complete with street light and brazier) with a slimy, oozing cellar beneath. The transitory nature of theatre was evident as Mr West dismantled his own creation, what used to be is no more… such is life, children.