‘They Wait in the Earth’ review
‘theatre at its inventive best’
As a piece of devised theatre, They Wait in the Earth succeeds in blending naturalistic dulogoues with physical theatre set pieces to create a satisfying quest in which characters find conviction in the midst of chaos.
The play opens with a movement piece in which quiet solemnity is broken by a green-wrapped ensemble commanding the stage with distant gazes and restrained gestures. It is these types of choices, sitting subtly beyond the playful, that makes Director River Blatch and Assistant Director Primavera Jones’ evocation of the Arthurian Bestiary feel so textured– the whole ensemble seem to understand that it is what’s held back that creates space for otherness, for the imagination to be invited in by what it will never quite understand.
This world is deeply enriched by Carrie Cheung’s striking and marvellous props and puppets – ranging from a mystique filled visage of the lady of the lake to a creature created from painted parasols. Cheung’s unrivaled expertise continues as they craft creatures that are both deeply loyal to the ecological undergrowth and still aesthetically gorgeous. Such craftmanship is a pleasure to behold.
It is against this mystical underbelly that our four main characters – Lancelot, Guinevere, Gawain, and Percival – steal a cauldron to get back to their king, turning the forest against them through an act that disrupts the mystical flora. Each character is given a clear narrative perspective on this clash between feudal order and mystical milieu, showing an understanding of how story should use setting to develop character. Eloise Robinson’s poised but heartfelt delivery sells Lancelot’s conflict between forest and castle, whilst still shielding all that tumult under the persona of a stoic knight. Matthias Bacon’s depiction of Gawain is forceful in his defence of palace procedure, with gutturally projected feeling jumping out in bursts of dialogue and then being pushed back into constrained facial expressions by the dynamics of the group. Both do their best work at the heights of their arguments where they do not flinch from holding a real depth of feeling. Both have lovely quieter moments – Bacon’s casual tone when eating at the opening hints at a playful ladishness, and Robinson’s love of the forest is moving. However sometimes their more tender motivations, which would spell out the true stakes, remain underexplored.
Another beautiful set of duologues is the developing romance between Lancelot and Guinevere (played by the ever-fabulous Emma Henderson). Henderson’s stage presence fulfils the aura of a queen and she holds emotional beats with just enough focus to hint at a supressed inner turmoil. When Henderson and Robinson both come together, their romantic tension is beautifully held without being overplayed, showing two souls slowly resting into each other’s company.
Finally, Moritz Afridi gifts immense nuance to Percival, hinting at anxieties through subtle eye movements and really selling this world of wonder through his body’s reactions. I fear at times Percival’s character is slightly neglected by the narrative, but Afridi still crafts a layered characterisation.
Each character is pushed into developing by a brilliantly evoked set of Legendary creatures. Iphis Critchlow’s Merlin maintains an aloof flow whilst still cutting through with threat – selling the idea of a mystical warlock connected to a world of real danger. Beau Singleton’s Nimue holds an unwavering gaze and softly droning voice that is uncanny to the core but still manages to hint at soft maternalism. The moment Nimue hugs Lancelot and Guinevere really brings home the notion of the good nature of the forest that the narrative too often states but doesn’t show – more moments like these would’ve deepened the conflict. Finally, a clear standout was Alfie Nawaid’s use of an almost poetic register that gave the potentially villainous Morgan Le Fey a sense of mystical dignity, elevating a lovely physicality by knowing exactly when to play with words and let them linger. All these depictions were enhanced by some lovely, restrained but colourful tech work by Production Manager Hamish, and some gorgeous make up.
If throughout this review I have continually referred to underexplored moments, it is simply because Blatch and Jones have achieved so much that it is a shame when it doesn’t quite explore its full emotional depths. To build convincing character arcs on top of such a faithfully embodied bestial milieu is a triumph, especially in devised theatre. This is theatre at its inventive best, selling the relevance of Arthurian legends to the modern day.
Bu Laurence Davidson.
They Wait in the Earth is showing on Saturday 21st June at 19:30 at the City Theatre.