Morality theatre piece premiered in Ipswich

 

 

Corruption, adultery, binge drinking, sex trade. Not the 21^st century of today but the 18^th century! The Royal Opera House 2’s new production of “Pleasure’s Progress - a Tale of Sex! Wigs! Wags! ‘N’ Bawds!” by Will Tuckett is more than a play, opera, musical, ballet or contemporary dance piece although it contains all of these. This is pure theatre in the form of a satirical morality maske, exploring Hogarth’s cartoon paintings, the Rake’s Progress, the Harlot’s Progress, Marriage a la Mode, Gin Alley and Beer Lane.

 

It opened not in London, but at Dance East’s Jerwood Dancehouse in Ipswich, playing to a packed audience each of its 3 public performances. Having lived in London near to Hogarth’s house and seen the original paintings at the John Soane Museum I was intrigued to find out how Tuckett would interpret them. The set, designed by Jon Bausor, with lighting by Jon Clark, is a clever triple layered stage, becoming Bedlam, the street, inside a wealthy house and a prison. The props and set accurately reflect many of the details of the Hogarth paintings and the costumes are 18^th century with sympathetic changes to let the dancers and singers move with ease.

On stage were six very experienced international singers/actors/dancers drawing us into the Hogarthian world with integrity and skill. Laura Caldow as Pamela Prim, (trained at Central School of Ballet in London and with Merce Cunningham in the USA) was able to convincingly portray the Harlot’s change from country girl to women of the streets. Her dance solo, on point, as the Gin Lane mother who is condemned to death for drunkenly killing her baby was extremely moving. Matthew Hart (Royal Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, Adventures in Motion Pictures and Ballet Boyz) was an affecting Tom, shaking his dice pot into eternity. Lizzy Scry was Clemmie Sveaas who superbly danced, sang and acted her way through a variety roles . Tom de Tourette was played by Portuguese Nuno Silva, a contemporary dancer and Fado singer, who danced in the retelling of Prodigal Son with Artur Pita’s “God’s Garden” in Ipswich and on tour, had an excellent vocal range and comic ability. Anna Dennis, singing Nancy, among others is a Royal Academy of Music operatic soprano who can actually act and dance well. Hogarth himself was played by the multi-talented Tom Solomon, a classically trained singer with experience in opera, and musicals. His lilting baritone as Hogarth became a Franellian counter tenor with ease and accuracy. Matthew Sharp, another multi talented singer, also a cello soloist who has played in many of the major world’s orchestras, sang the night watchman’s prayer about God blessing the rich with plenty but needing to look upon the poor and less fortunate, beautifully changing all the hilarity to a darker and more serious tone.

 

There were two live musicians for this production. It was conducted from a keyboard that became in turn a spinet, harpsichord, organ and honky-tonk piano. The violinist doubled on a variety of stringed instruments including a mandolin, musical saw and accordion. The music by Paul Englishby successfully pastiched Handelian opera, Bach, Noel Coward, John Gay (Beggars’ Opera), Gershwin (Of Thee I Sing - “Of tea I sing”), Victorian hymns, musical comedy and much more. Surprisingly it all fitted seamlessly together.

 

The story line is bawdy, naughty, Carry-onish with a riot of wonderful characters and is very funny. There are no intervals and the piece is fast moving with the librettist Alasdair Middleton’s hilarious allusions and word play reducing the audience to helpless laughter. If you are offended by innuendo and sexual word play, even although this is a morality tale, it may not be for you.

 

The action opens in Bedlam where the inmates act out their stories for Hogarth who is sketching them. The moving portraits could have been twee but added to the action effectively. The gaoler with his whip lashing the floor gave a hint of the duplicity of the age, punishing those whose were caught yet hinting at the sexual pleasure he gained from it. The “moral” rich are seen shunning and punishing the poor but never asking what causes them to act thus, while when backs are turned, all sorts of shenanigans take place in their homes. Tuckett takes us from high bawdy humour into the darkness and horror of the night for those for whom pleasure has been their only goal. Thus presenting a very different picture from the Enlightenment we often like to portray.