Three plays in three languages

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32636, 18 June 1971, Page 10

Three plays in three languages

“Woyzeck” by George Buchner; produced by Barry Empson. “The Impetuous Turk" by Koz*ma Prutkov; produced by John Goodliffe. "La Premiere Famine” by Jules Supervielle; produced by Peter Low. University or Canterbury German, Russian, and French Chibs. Christ’s College Halt

One serious play seriously presented and two short lightweight pieces unpretentiously performed made for a very mixed bag of drama last evening, the more so since they were produced in three languages. Comprehension was, invitably, a problem at times, because picking up all the nuances of live presentatlon requires rather more than a cursory acqulntance with the language. In each play, though, there was a determined effort to support the dialogue with plenty of visual props such as gesture, movement, and business; for the Russian play a script was provided, and yet, surprisingly, it was in the Superviellp piece that the audience seemed to miss most of the best laughs. The Russian play, though unashamedly over-explicit, was a practical success and managed to sustain its comic impact throughout “Woyzeck" is now generally regarded as an unfinished masterpiece by one of the most versatile dramatists in German literature, whose premature death (in his early twenties) quite possibly retarded the development of modem drama by half a century. The students’ presentation was relatively polished and seemed to have good voice-work in all but the role of the grandmother; the style verged on the declamatory (and presumably this was intentional) but this, and the interpolated epilogue, seemed to draw the play closer to the manner of "Danton’s

Death” and to detract somewhat from the image of Buechner, the father of Expressionism and the Absurd. No doubt this is a valid emphasis, and it did make for forceful drama with a hint of the Wagnerian. Jeremy Prater was an engaging hero who drew one’s sympathy throughout, and although he lacked the “littleness" that is usually connected with his character he did make a good job of dramatising his bewilderment. As Marie, Eve Rohs effected a good balance between the attractive and the despicable, and John Brandts-Glesen’s Haptmann was also well received.

Peter Low’s creation farce was certainly inventive, and the revelation that Adam was a Frenchman immediately explained the play's shambolic portrayal of primitive society. The production was full of ideas, and some of them did not quite work—this sort of effort needs to be presented several times before one can decide for certain what will draw audience response. At its best the play was very funny, and with some tidying-up could be a successful farce. —H. D. McN.