Theatre / living spit
Review: Elizabeth I – Virgin on the Ridiculous, The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic – ‘very well acted, and extremely funny’
Living Spit’s latest production opened tonight in the Bristol Old Vic’s Weston Studio, to a slightly older, but undeniably lively audience, and the excellent music and strong performances helped the show to keep fizzing throughout.
Elizabeth I – Virgin on the Ridiculous follows Elizabeth and a series of friends, family, colleagues and enemies as she navigates her well-known reign.
Particularly good were the scenes featuring Francis Walsingham as a CrimeWatch-style spymaster, and Hercule Francoise, who presented Elizabeth with a little stuffed frog. Very French.
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The costuming worked well here, with an increasingly funny assortment of wigs and accessories to communicate the characters: this was lively and quick, and made the multi-roling much easier to follow.
Special mention also must be given to the music of the show. Both actors played their own instruments live on stage, making the play something between a sketchy stand-up piece and a full blown gig.
Two guitars, a lyre and even a set of bongos were incorporated into the performance, and the musical elements really shone.
Stu Mcloughlin and Howard Coggins in Living Spit’s Elizabeth I – Virgin on the Ridiculous – photo: Graham Burke
There were a couple of ropey moments, especially at the beginning of the performance, with the opening song relying a little too heavily on jokes about Liz I being a crossdresser. While drag is inextricable from the show, the opening number’s references to “needing a shave” and “some girls look like men” bordered on insensitive, and certainly made the audience feel a little awkward.
I also found the costuming for Elizabeth to be a little underdeveloped – I really feel the production could have benefitted from adding a little more visual interest or incorporating some more recognisable costume like a ruff or royal colours. That said, I really liked that Liz wore steel-toe boots – very feisty, just like her.
Stu Mcloughlin – photo: Graham Burke
The show was a little slow to warm up, but no doubt this can be attributed to first-night nerves or growing pains, and by the end of the night the audience were undeniably tickled. Sir Francis Drake and Lettice Knowles (played by a baby gem lettuce) proved particularly popular.
Despite a bumpy take-off, Virgin on the Ridiculous was ultimately great fun: cheeky, very well acted, and extremely funny.
Elizabeth I – Virgin on the Ridiculous is at The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic on March 14-26 (times vary). Tickets are available at www.bristololdvic.org.uk.
Main photo: Graham Burke
Read more: What Remains of Us, Bristol Old Vic – ‘A compelling story’
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