Written by: Tom Woods (@Thomas_E_Woods)Where did Woods watch it?
Ashcroft Theatre (Fairfield Halls), Croydon
Was Woods won over?
****
If you saw the image of the queen from the Olympic opening
ceremony that was doing the rounds a few months ago, you may well say that she
looks “f***ed owff” – which is precisely the set up for Long Live the Mad Parade by David Spicer - a royally entertaining
comic fantasy which will leave you grinning from ear to ear.
Opening with The Queen’s secretary the Right Honourable
Christopher Massingham CVO OBE (Fred Perry) finding that Her Royal Majesty (or
H.R.M) is refusing to get out of bed or deal with any matters of state, the
play follows the panic and plans of her courtiers and staff trying to cope with
this heretofore unprecedented situation. It’s all jolly entertaining even if
things start off a little bit slow, the jokes being mildly amusing, and the blackouts
somewhat distracting; this can be forgiven however when the bumbling Lord
Chancellor Robert Ludlow (Jeremy Clyde) is introduced. Clyde
is utterly flawless in his portrayal of the old politician and staunch defender
of tradition and the constitution. He injects the production with a fervent
energy and has a certain charm on stage that makes the whole thing a delight to
watch.
It entertains, and creates laughs but also manages to
satirise perfectly public opinion and obsession with the royals, class division
and the British bureaucracy’s love of committee’s, middlemen and making
everything unnecessarily complicated. Granted the latter might be more of a
bureaucracy thing in general than a British thing, but being a nation steeped
in traditions that have been upheld for centuries it does seem to apply
somewhat more in this context. Characters from all walks of life become
involved in the mad parade from the humble maid Maxine Chuddley (Beatrice Rose)
to the aptly named tabloid reporter Miriam Goss (Johanne Murdock), which leads
to some interesting dynamics onstage between the working class and those in the
employment of the aristocracy.
Questions are raised too, like what would happen if Britain became
a Republic? Would we be better off or would we lose an institution, and by
extension a tradition that, complain though we might, we actually hold quite
dear? There is no definite answer, everyone will come to their own conclusions
on this, but Long Live the Mad Parade raises
the questions in a very deft and amusing fashion. It showcases through the
antics on stage how barmy and bonkers our traditions, procedures and
constitution are - but at the same time shows it with such grace and affable
characters that it’s almost impossible not to be charmed by the desperation of
those who stand to loose so much from abolition.
There aren’t enough words in the English dictionary to heap
on the praise for this show, though special mention should be given to Nick
Palmer’s wonderful slanting set which perfectly captures the feel of satirical
cartoonists. Overall this is a wonderfully entertaining, energetic and inspired
comedy that is a must see. One is most definitely amused.
This production runs until 24 November 2012.
For more information: http://www.fairfield.co.uk/showInfo.php?showid=21915
@FairfieldHalls
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