The Knight Of The Burning Pestle review by Emily Mangles
As I sat in the Barn waiting for the play to start, it was clear audience participation would be involved. Indeed, the whole play was directed and written by a member of the audience: Citizen George, a grocer, and his wife. They cast their apprentice, Rafe, who was played with stupendous American enthusiasm by Diederik van Wersch, as the main character (the eponymous Knight of The Burning Pestle) and changed the plot of the play to suit their whims. It quickly became clear that The Knights of the Burning Pestle was written in the ‘play within a play’ style.
The cast of the ‘play’ coped well with this style, and weaker characters were carried by the play within a play format. Jaspar (Matt Roberts) ploughed on bravely as the sincere romantic hero, battling with some rather silly rhyming couplets, but never once lacking conviction in a rather two dimensional role. The parodying romantic scenes could perhaps have done with more melodrama, but were saved from being too dull by the Citizen’s wife, who grimaced, gasped, and menacingly ate liquorice throughout. Daisy E.R. Hale was the highlight of the play in this part; her character could have been annoying, but Hale carried it with a lightness of touch that made it delightful.
Overall, the direction was good, making the most of a limiting script. However, some of the innuendos were laboured, which stopped them being anything more than mildly amusing.
Felicity Stephenson’s costumes were excellent, the set consisted of one large curtain, allowing for stunts to varied success, whilst the sword fight was exhilarating as sparks flew, but could have lasted longer.
Laura Griffin was excellent as the chorus. She played her various roles with conviction and humour in a refusal to be overshadowed. Joe D’Angelo also deserves mention as Humphrey; who lisped, whimpered, and camped up his role superbly.
Overall, this was a very funny play. In the last scene the cast sing: “Is it not but mirth that keeps our bodies from the earth”, and during the exam period this is truer than ever. The Knights of the Burning Pestle was more than a welcome distraction.