Low DownTalented American storyteller Philip Wharton tells the story of the Geatish hearo, Beowulf, slayer of sea-serpents, monsters and dragons, fighter of good against evil in a 2-hour long tour-de-force performance. The story probably started out as an oral work, committed to writing in the 11th Century, since when it has been translated, retold, filmed, and adapted many times. ReviewWharton’s staged version is notable on two counts – its originality and its ability to encompass the whole story (or at least most of it) within the scope of the performance. The language is poetic, pithy and commands attention. It does not stick slavishly to the 4-stress line of the original, and uses the alliterative character of the original verse in moderation, while keeping much of the kenning which so characterises the source text, describing the sea as a ‘whale road’, for instance, or a harp as ‘song wood’ or a boat as a ‘wood-ringed craft’ or a ‘ring-prowed ship’. As a piece of literature, in context, it works better than Heaney’s translation. Heaney’s version is inspired in part by the Irish storytelling tradition and truer to the original and while it could be truncated, is presented in its entirety. Wharton’s, while abridged, is more immediate and flows more easily in oral delivery. Audience members will be the richer in having both available to compare. Passages like ‘it all melted like ice melts when the Father loosens the fetters of frost and unwinds the water ropes’ will sing on in the mind well after the show. And having a few select passages sounded out in original Anglo-Saxon is a real plus point. But the text is only part of the performance. It is Wharton’s considerable ability to bring the story to life which is why this show sparkles. Beowulf presents storytellers with a number of challenges, not least the fact that the original contains very little dialogue, leaving the narrator to convey emotions, relationships and character third hand. Wharton meets this challenge admirably, and with the exception of the character of Hrothgar’s wife, Wealhtheow, succeeds in engendering appropriate emotions through his characterisations and the transitions between them with uncanny ease - fear, admiration, respect, awe, and much more flow off the stage into our hearts. His Grendel is terrifying. His Beowulf is noble, yet touching in his humility. We can almost feel the heat from his Dragon’s fire. And when we get to Beowulf’s death scene, it is hauntingly moving.
Inevitably to make the literary suit fit the cloth of a chosen time frame, choices have to be made. As a result, we lose some key passages of the original – Wiglaf’s speech to his companions is cut, as is the description of the Geats marching up to Heorot, with the road cradling them. Minor niggles are the Ikea stool (well, alright, it’s modern Danish), machine-stitched hems on the otherwise generally credible costume and a few out-of-place American sounds (endoored, rather than endured, for example) which stick out in the context of an otherwise neutral-accented delivery.
Despite some slight devoicing at times, the delivery is clear and the energy is maintained throughout, making this a compelling performance. A good place to start from if you don’t know this gripping story of heroes, monsters, fame and glory, and a version not to miss if you already know and love the work.
Reviewed by Leon Conrad 12 August 2008 Website :n/a |
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