Low Down

Review

This performance is one the Royal Shakespeare Company could be proud of having produced. It is not surprising that Gerard Logan was nominated for an Olivier award for his interpretation of Roderigo in the 1985/86 production of Othello with them. Logan has a powerful, flexible voice, is convincing in his delivery and characterisation and at ease in the performance space. The cave he performs in is damp and the walls drip. The choice of Indo-Grecian costume combination is eclectic. There are a few visible signs of nerves.

However, these don’t get in the way of Logan’s ability to bring this work to life, and he carries the audience through the story with professionalism and grace. He brings to life the detailed changes of light and colour in the text in both the internal and external landscapes he describes. He made me believe I was with Tarquin as he weighed up his desire, his doubts. I felt him grapple with desire and dread. I was with him as he weighed up action and consequence, justified his case, debated possession versus freedom and came down on the side of will – the water droplets on the walls of the cave seemed to be transformed into drops of conscience sizzling into steam as Tarquin’s ‘frozen conscience’ succumbed to his ‘hot burning will’.

The scene in which Logan evokes Tarquin and Lucretia’s first meeting, where he holds her hand in his and she rests hers upon his outstretched palm was sexy stuff. I felt the quality of the touch, saw the colour rise in her cheek. Felt the power to seduce course through his body.

The desire gives in to lust – loud and lusty. We follow Tarquin through the castle, down dark passages, up winding staircases, feel the resistance in the hinges of Lucretia’s bedroom door as he lifts the latch and pushes it open in a rapacious precursory act to the one which is to come.

One advantage of hearing this artful work spoken out loud in proper cadence is that we ‘get’ hidden rhymes … in this passage, where Shakespeare comments, ‘Thus treason works ere traitors be espied. Who sees the lurking serpent steps aside; But she, sound sleeping, fearing no such thing,’ the word ‘king’ appears unbidden as an expected rhyme. It adds credence to the intriguing arguments of some scholars of a hidden code within Shakespeare’s writing if you’re into that aspect of Shakespearean scholarship.

But the story goes on. Logan conveys Lucretia’s shame, her grief, her desire for revenge, then the glorious ‘time’ passage – this is the equivalent of bel canto opera at its best – high emotions riding on a wave of sound washing freely over the audience controlled by the rhythm and music of the words Shakespeare crafted so well, brought to life through the pure spirit-fulled voice of a master. I felt the outrage which led her to want to commit suicide and felt her acknowledge the futility of the act.

I felt her recover her self-control when speaking to her maid, her modesty, indecision, decision. Her letter-writing scene is masterfully staged. Then Collatine arrived. His face changed from delight to dismay at seeing her. She recounted her story – I felt Collatine and his companions’ shock. I wanted to join in with her to challenge them to act, demand justice on her behalf.

If you love poetry, Shakespeare, or just a good story brilliantly told, don’t miss this show. You will rarely have the chance to experience great poetry brought to life this well – don’t rape it with your absence, take it, hold it to you, love it, honour it and you’ll be unlikely not to depart satisfied, replete, refreshed.

Reviewed by Leon Conrad 13 August 2008

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