FESTEN To 14 November.
Mold.
FESTEN
dramatised by David Eldridge from the Dogme film and play by Thomas Vinterberg, Mogens Rukov and Bo hr Hansen.
Clwyd Theatr Cymru (Emlyn Williams Theatre) To 14 November 2009.
Mon-Sat 7.45pm Mat Sat 2,45pm.
Audio-described 5 Nov, 14 Nov 2.45pm.
Captioned 7 Nov 2.45pm.
Runs 1hr 45min No interval.
TICKETS: 0845 330 3565.
www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 27 October.
Family gathering doesn’t come to life.
On screen Festen, first of Denmark’s mid-1990s Dogme films, has become the most celebrated, while David Eldridge’s adaptation is England’s standard stage version. The title’s celebration involves a family in the restaurant business gathering for patriarch Helge’s 60th birthday.
Call it ‘The Birthday Party’ and Pinterish overtones would darken the already suspect upbeat title (who makes films about happy birthdays?). There are private tensions, between Michael and his wife Mette – an emotional estrangement that leaves their young daughter wandering around, seeing and hearing unsuitable things when mother can’t cover her ears.
Family flop Poul sits sunk in drink, while Grandfather, with his one dirty story, is past it. But it’s quiet, sane-seeming Christian who cuts through the ridiculous birthday rituals. Offering an apparent choice of birthday messages, the one Helge chooses reveals dark secrets from childhood days.
At first – it’s one of the stronger aspects of Tim Baker’s Mold revival – Christian’s account hardly penetrates some minds; drink, routine and individual miseries hold awareness at bay. Meanwhile the girl keeps emerging from under a table, hearing about the trauma of the family’s children a generation back.
Pinter comes to mind in the silences Baker makes notable, especially an eternal-seeming entropy where life apparently grinds to a halt. And, the morning after, the long table where people sat for the evening meal is divided for a fractured family breakfast, Helge now generally shunned.
The problem comes between the silences. Performances often don’t ring true. It might be the filmic structure, which leaves the servant Pia’s desire for Christian and the catering staff lining-up early on with Christian, stranded. But that’s not been a problem in previous productions.
Christian repeatedly shows detachment by staring up and away; Michael’s anger and racism seem an actor’s technique. It all remains external, the characters contrived rather than expressing pent-up experiences, existing in an isolation that’s a production device rather than part of any reality.
Dyfan Jones’ score drips atmospherically round scenes – which is ironic, for the film-makers stated, “Music must not be used unless it occurs where the scene is being shot,” making even that unDogmatic.
Christian: Lee Haven Jones.
Michael: Alex Parry.
Mette: Catrin Aaron.
Lars: Simon Watts.
Helene: Liz May Brice.
Else: Karen Ford.
Helge: Ifan Huw Dafydd.
Pia: Eleanor Howell.
Poul: Michael Geary.
Grandfather: Robert Page.
Helmut: Alastair Snell.
Kim: Dyfrig Morris.
Gbatokai: Rex Obano.
Michael & Mette’s little Girl: Naomi Athay/Fleur Jones/Victoria Lewis.
Director: Tim Baker.
Designer: Martyn Bainbridge.
Lighting: Nick Beadle.
Sound: Dan Armishaw, Kevin Heyes.
Composer: Dyfan Jones.
2009-10-30 10:45:07