‘Guards! Guards!’ review
‘nothing short of a hysterically bright triumph […] A brilliant, bizarre, hilarious way to spend an evening!’
It’s arguable for some that to watch a Terry Pratchett production is to relinquish any element of rationale one may have as an audience member. This is a deeply scary phenomenon - at no point during Guards! Guards! did I expect what followed to happen - and in the hands of a lesser cast and crew, it could have been a dangerous mix. However, to my sheer delight, Ooook! Productions’ infectiously joyous performance, spearheaded by Director River Blatch’s masterful creative vision, is nothing short of a hysterically bright triumph.
The plot follows the happenings of the city of Ankh-Morph and its occasionally hapless nightwatch guards, who have to deal with - in no particular order - a dragon, an ape librarian, and a nearly successful coup. They are led by Captain Vimes, played brilliantly by Icarus Gilbert, who not only had the audience in stitches with their vivacious physical comedy, but captured the desperation of a character trying to do the right thing in every circumstance with nuanced emotion. I felt Gilbert grew and grew with each scene they appeared in.
The thorn in Vimes’ side is the new guard, comically named Carrot, and played by Gabriel Cardy-Brown who excels in this role. Cardy-Brown’s utter commitment to the role right from the opening scene is a testament not only to his talent, but Blatch’s direction and Alex McNeice’s production (assisted by Ashley Zhou), too. One scene, where Cardy-Brown effectively monologues with a puppet monkey for ten minutes, was so hilarious that it received a round of applause halfway through. The other two guards, Nobbs and Colon, played by Moritz Afridi and Arthur Hamilton, were also brilliant, and the four’s chemistry sold their scenes wonderfully.
Beau Singleton as the comically evil Lupine Wonse (complete with cackle) and Iphis Critchlow’s measured but fearsome Lord Vetinari are a perfectly contrasting duo. They both command the stage with great presence, especially Singleton in their scenes as the ‘Lord Supreme Commander’. Critchlow, as does much of the cast, has an amazing range, which is displayed here through his consistent multi-rolling. Watching both of them act, I felt completely safe in their capable hands.
Freya Stanton’s Sybil, too, was sharp, kind, and witty, and her quick rebounds had the audience giggling endlessly. Footnote, played by Sophia Winsbury, was the narrative figure, unfazed by the challenge of direct address and another whose stage presence only expanded over the play. The “brothers”, who made up much of the ensemble roles, were unfathomable in their energy, playing characters from dwarves to bloodthirsty townsfolk with effortless aptitude - specifically Elizabeth Lea, whose sycophantic Brother Watchtower was hilarious. Lastly, Ben Braje’s puppeteering was nothing short of mystical - it takes a particular talent to have a soft toy orangutan attached to your calves, and not only make it hilarious, but to engage the audience so much that we feel we understand the puppet, despite its only communication being ‘Ooook!’.
I cannot write about Guards! Guards! without mentioning the incredible production team. Benedict Slade as Production Manager heads a team of ridiculously creative people: Breanna Voss’ set is imaginative and no small feat, being two-tiered but also containing stable ‘walls’ the cast can lounge on and, in Singleton’s case, topple off. Zac Jackson’s lighting design, and its operation by Dan Streeves, is a joy too - the whole stage glows orange with the coming of the dragon. The dragon itself, masterminded by Jess Burton as Puppet Constructor, is phenomenal, and Fly Operator Daniel Haines does a great job of making the massive dragon wings ‘fly’. Lastly, the sound team of Daisy Martin and Eleanor Rowlands add to the atmosphere with their comic sound cues, which are truly the last piece of this brilliant puzzle.
Guards! Guards! is best put as a show that is a sum of three immaculate parts: fantastic creative vision, committed, wholehearted acting, and production excellence which draws the whole show together. Despite the occasional projection or sound imbalance, the cast excel, especially in the long first half, where their own enjoyment is palpable and thus engages the audience further. A brilliant, bizarre, hilarious way to spend an evening!
By Lottie Roddis.