by Christopher Marlowe – by the RSC
Stratford-Upon-Avon

It’s disturbing, creepy and convincing.

I could stop there, but I shan’t.

It’s a great cautionary tale and this production, currently running in the Swan, will keep your eyes firmly forward, for not only do the staging, costumes and music, keep you alert…whilst you travel down a very dark path…but the performance delivered by the ensemble is so unsettling that you dare not look away for you might miss the oh so comfortable Mephistophilis in his evilness (and fabulous white trouser suit), or the sheer torment and titillation experienced by Faustus as he maintains his contract with the devil.

The Director’s representation of the demon within us is unnerving and provides substantial material to discuss whilst driving home post production and lunching over a couple of glasses of wine (or water…your choice) the next day (and maybe some coconut and white chocolate dipped edible sticks).

From the starting scene of a mirror image, to the switching of speeches between both Faustus and Mephistophilis, you start to question where the evil really is and perhaps it could be in us all…(please not me)…It makes you pause…reassess…hopefully won’t give you nightmares…but is sure to make you delight in the power and impress of performance theatre and get you being a little less lecherous….for a minute at least.

Showing until 4 August 2016

(image sourced from google)