Ben Hur by Patrick Barlow, Manor Pavilion Theatre, Sidmouth until 21 September 2024.

5✩✩✩✩✩. Review: Cormac Richards.

“It’s bonkers, it’s barmy, it’s brilliant.”

 

It’s bonkers, it’s barmy, it’s brilliant. Following on from Patrick Barlow’s take on ‘The 39 Steps’ last year, the same team have taken on Barlow’s version of the epic ‘Ben Hur’, a tale of the Christ. A theatre company of just four (The Daniel Veil Collective) present every aspect of the story whilst trying not to let their personal lives get in the way. The quartet of performers juggle many characters, (often playing two at the same time) a plethora of ridiculous props, dances, accents, costumes and wigs in an entertainment which is off the scale of silliness. Presenting such a daft piece of theatre does not, however, guarantee something will be funny, the fact that the audience barely stops laughing from the off is testament to the skills of all involved.

The final play in the 2024 Summer Season is, without doubt, the most difficult play to stage and make work this year; it is a triumph.

Barlow’s work needs to be presented at speed; the less time the audience have to think about what they are laughing at, the more they will laugh and although the script slightly runs out of steam in the second have, there is enough joy to be had throughout to keep you happy for days.

This is a truly ensemble production; whilst the actors strut their stuff on stage, Rhys Cannon is running around backstage sliding on pieces of set, throwing buckets of water and attempting to keep some order. Meanwhile James Prendergast is negotiating an overwhelming number of sound and lighting cues; all to ensure the audience get a true entertainment experience. Director, Andrew Beckett’s great skill is to know just how far to allow the actors to push the levels of ridiculousness; going too far over the top and this kind of comedy fails to be funny.

As the self-promoting Daniel Veil, who takes on the titular role, Charlie Bryant, once again, offers a showcase of his endless talents; an actor of great range, comedically adept and not a bad dancer either. Josh Coley needs to do very little to engage the audience in humour, a natural laughter-maker, he juggles the villain of the piece, Messala, with a unique portrayal of Jesus and a very funny camp waiter, oh and his main character is called Omar Lord – say no more – he is comedy gold. Dominic McChesney, fresh from playing the lead in the thriller ‘Deathtrap’ last week, once again displays his brilliance in the comedy genre as the washed-up classical actor Edgar T Chesterfield; his routine switching between a centurion and Ben Hur’s mother is side-splittingly funny. Holly Ashman (as Crystal Singer) must have the most character and costume changes; walking off in one outfit and instantly returning in another is like an optical illusion; her timing is spot on and her comic skills shine. What a cast!

The four deliver the double-entendres, cheesy jokes and brilliant dialogue with great relish to the utter joy of the audience who are deeply engaged throughout; not least in the ‘audience participation’ segment which could fall on its face, but is a sequence which animates everyone and brings the house down.

A memorable production for all the right reasons; one may never watch Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd thrash about in chariots in quite the same way again.

And so the 2024 Summer Season comes to a close on a perfect note. Sidmouth audiences have been treated, once again, to an astonishing summer of productions; the standards are sky high and the entertainment off the scale. The theatrical world is a better place for the Manor Pavilion Theatre and the Summer Play Season; may it live long and prosper!

 

Cast
Daniel Veil – Charlie Bryant

Crystal Singer – Holly Ashman

Omar Lord – Josh Coley

Edgar T Chesterfield – Dominic McChesney

 

Creatives

Writer – Patrick Barlow

Director – Andrew Beckett

Design – Andrew Beckett

Lighting & Sound Operation – James Prendergast

Costume Designer – Jan Huckle

Set Builders – Rhys Cannon & James Prendergast

Props Supervisor - James Prendergast

Stage Manager – Rhys Cannon

Photo Credit – Andrew Beckett

Artistic Director - Paul Taylor-Mills

Season Associate Producer – Andrew Beckett