Decline and Fall
Old Red Lion Theatre
All photography by Henry Filloux-Bennett.
Under the new Artistic Direction of Henry Filloux-Bennett, The Old Red Lion’s production of Evelyn Waugh’s first novel, Decline and Fall, is a literary feast and a theatrical sensation. Adapted for the stage by Filloux-Bennett and directed by Tom King, this is a performance whose meaning is layered with elegance and complexity into the whirlwind humour of the show.
Sylvester McCoy, Owen Roberts and Morgan Thomas
The narrative follows the downfall of former Oxford student Paul Pennyfeather, who is forced by circumstance to take up a teaching position at a Welsh boarding school and, whilst there, falls into a problematic potential marriage that ultimately leads to his decline. What’s intriguing about Paul is his laissez-faire attitude and his inability to take control of his life which forms the underlying conflict of the show. The performance skilfully integrates letters from Waugh himself, both to mark the humorous autobiographical references that shape Paul’s character, but also to build a stronger critique of 1920s society. Decline and Fall has a unique spirit, in that behind the situational humour and the intersecting side-stories lies a darker reveal.
Tom King’s direction is precise, yet despite the energetic pace of the performance, the humour is often played out too earnestly from the members of the cast. King’s emphasis on atmosphere and character comes at a cost, for when Paul’s decline is explained at the very end, it doesn’t hold the weight that the literary counterpart so elegantly manages. The very tension between the power games in the narrative and the humour with which they’re presented is too fragmented and subtle to give dramatic muscle to the performance.
Michael Lindall and Morgan Thomas
Richard Kent’s design makes fantastic use of the space and brings together the sense of farce and tragedy that the play toys with. There are also engaging performances from the cast, particularly Jonathan Hansler as Dr Fagan and Emily Murphy as Florence Fagan. Dr Who’s Sylvester McCoy is a delightful presence as Captain Grimes, albeit with an extra dose of caricature not always pertinent to the character.
Decline and Fall displays a complex understanding of the novels’ theatricality and playful structure. Passionate about its literary richness and full of character, the performance engages with the novel’s narrative with an allusion to farce, and a secondary interest in the darker side of its protagonists.
Tagged: Old Red Lion Theatre