Drama Barn: Knightingale

Knightingale is student Heather Wilmot’s second piece of writing to be performed in the Drama Barn, and second foray into fantasy worlds as she subverts instantly recognisable stories and themes, this time into a familiar setting. Wilmot’s second piece of work builds on the great successes of Howling Moon, her first, though retains some of the issues of that original piece.

The premise behind Knightingale is simple in theory. Medieval knights, of the Round Table and not, find themselves resurrected in the modern day, in a bar. Swiftly the plot cycles ahead of the audience, however, as it becomes difficult to keep track of an ever-increasing web of Arthurian legend and mystery. As each knight is explored in depth and their histories uncovered, the secret as to why they are there is, rather slowly, revealed.

The set is simple but effective – three entrances to the back, one from the audience; two tables; a bar; stools. It is precisely what you’d expect from a play set in a bar, but it doesn’t need to be anything more, and the explosion of glitter all over the Barn (metaphorically, fortunately) leaves gives it an ever-so-slightly dated feel. Costumes too are simple, suits for the knights and work wear for the bar staff, the other characters costumed appropriately.

Knightingale suffers from a pacing problem, perhaps partly due to an overlong script, but also thanks to extremely long scene changes. Clocking in at around two-and-a-half hours, including interval, there are a number of scenes that, struck out, would massively improve the play as a whole. This is not to say that the play, or these scenes, are bad – all succeeds in engaging the audience both visually and in aurally, with Wilmot’s actors all successfully portraying their characters’ nuances. Rather, this length leads to a full character development for almost every member of the cast, making it difficult to concentrate on the plot itself. As we discover the complexities of Gawain, Lancelot, Balin and Galahad’s characters, it is protagonist Orson’s development that is treated as less important. It takes the entire first act to meet most of the characters, but the second act is where all the action happens – and is by far the most impressive.

A stand-out performance is given by Roseanna Brear as Phil, the bartender. Her character succeeds in tugging on the heartstrings of the audience in a more subtle way than some other characters, with the performance particularly impressive in her quieter and pulled-back scenes, moments that many other actors struggle with. There isn’t a weak link in the performance, though, and all perform well.

Ultimately Wilmot’s script needs a cutting-down and some characters need realigning into the plot of the play, rather than distracting from it, but hers is still a successful piece of original writing. With characters to love and hate, a plot that ties together nicely and a formidable cast, Knightingale is one to catch this weekend.