REVIEW: The Wife / Rude Mechanical Theatre Company
By Gary Murray, volunteer theatre reviewer
It’s that time of year again! Time to make the pilgrimage to Meads to see Eastbourne’s very own Rude Mechanical Theatre Company finish their summer tour with a short residency in a marquee (The Little Big Top) in Helen Garden, overlooking the sea.
And pilgrimage is particularly apt this year. ‘The Rudes’ are presenting The Wife. Based on the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, a disparate group of people set out from Southwark to Canterbury Cathedral on a pilgrimage, hoping for a profound experience.
The most well-known of these pilgrims was Alyson of Bath, married five times and with quite a story to add to the tales they agree to tell on the way.
If you’ve seen The Rudes before, you’ll know that this will be no dry, dusty re-telling of a literary classic. Far from it!
The Wife, written by Pete Talbot with original music and songs by Pete and Rowan Talbot, is alive with the customary larger-than-life comedy, music and colour. And poignancy – there’s a little more grit to it this year, and it’s all the better for it.
At first sight, the tent looks a little forlorn – like the circus has left town and left its little brother behind. But once inside, it’s all bustle and purpose.
Alyson’s prologue in Chaucer’s original is twice as long as the actual tale. The early part of the play is a hilarious re-telling of how five husbands came and went (they were usually elderly) and how Alyson inherited their wealth. She is aided in this by her pilgrim companions who play various characters in the stories.
Alyson is the wonderful Evie James, an assured performance at the heart of everything.
She’s ably assisted by the ensemble cast (many of them familiar from previous Rudes shows).
There’s Holly Cassidy as Madam Eglantine, a nun who is troubled by acting out the more lascivious parts of the story – ones which involve “grappling”. Matthew Nicholson is Harry Bailey, the pilgrimage host, with Maddie Hatt, Georgina Field and Rowan Talbot playing a number of characters.
"This production is a triumph"
The prologue scenes are very funny, one scene in particular surely owing a debt to Monty Python.
For the actual tale there’s an abrupt change of mood. A prince, a woman and a terrible crime.
The cast deal with this superbly. The audience at that moment are still up for comedy but there’s a dawning realisation as to what has happened.
To atone for what he did (and save his own life), Sir Roland (again played by Matthew Nicholson) is sent by his Queen on a quest. He must find the answer to the question: “What is it that women most desire?” Is it money, is it love, or is it agency?
This production is a triumph. A modern audience might be troubled by the resolution but will judge for themselves whether this works.
:: The show runs until Sunday, 9 August, the end of The Rudes two-month tour of southern England. Tickets are sold out for all remaining shows – join the waiting list
:: Gary Murray was a professional actor for 14 years in theatre, radio, TV and even a couple of operas. After many years on the tech side of ticketing, he now works at non-profit Tech Resort sharing digital skills and is a volunteer reviewer for Eastbourne Reporter
