"The Fantasticks" directed by Amon Miyamoto currently playing at the Duchess Theatre until 4 September.

 

"The Fantasticks" has enjoyed a considerable reputation across the pond in America where it ran for over 42 years.  This production running at the Duchess Theatre on Catherine Street is unlikely to get that far.

 

It is the story of two teenagers Matt and Luisa (Luke Brady and Lorna Want) whose fathers (Clive Rowe and David Burt) create a feud to ensure their children will form a couple, even going so far as to arrange their kidnapping by a thief El Gallo (Hadley Fraser) and a pair of down-at-heel actors (Edward Petherbridge and Paul Hunter).

 

The show's book has a ramshackle haphazard structure that clumsily leaps from one event to the next.  The main fault in it's translation is allowing the actors to speak American dialogue in British accents.  Much of the show's potential humour and darkness, which seems specific to where the piece was created, is lost.  The second fault was to present the piece using minimalist staging and costumes.  If more was invested in the technical side, there could have been more depth to the piece and what was going on might have been more interesting.

 

I refer to the director's note which insists the piece is relevant to modern times riven by conflict and differences between the privileged and the under-privileged.  Maybe I missed something, but I didn't think "The Fantasticks" related to any of these things, and it's underlying message - that young people should avoid seeking adventure in the outside world and instead focus on self-development - seems to me to encourage ignorance of reality behind a facade of self-responsibility.  I see a lot of darkness in this, and it could have been brought out more.

 

Despite these thematic and technical issues, "The Fantasticks" is certainly well-played.  The actors invest their parts with plenty of knockabout energy, and this raises "The Fantasticks" to the level of enjoyable whimsy.  Edward Petherbridge and Hadley Fraser are particular standouts here, the latter making the most of the show's best-known song "Try to Remember".  Lorna Want as Luisa is also very good, and packs in a lot of emotional wallop into her role.  Carl Au as the Mute isn't give much to do other than gyrate and sprinkle confetti, but still adds flair to what could easily be a disposable part.

 

Definitely not a long-runner, but still acted enjoyably enough to make an entertaining evening.