'The Threepenny Opera’

Press, 15 August 1984, Page 20

'The Threepenny Opera’

> The jazz classic “Mac the Knife,” made famous by Bobby Darin and Ella Fitzgerald, is the best known song fron Kurt Weill’s score of “The Threepenny Opera.” ’ This funny musical took Berlin by storm in 1928 and remains the most celebrated stage work to come out of the exciting years just before Hitler came to ppwer, years represented now by Marlene Dietrich in the film “The Blue Angel” and the master of ceremonies in the musical “Cabaret.”

Loosely based on John Gay’s satirical masterpiece "The Beggar’s Opera” Bertolt Brecht’s version traces the history of Mac the Knife, master criminal of Victorian London. Mac

elopes with Polly, the daughter of his arch enemy Jeremiah Peechum, King of the Beggars. In revenge, the police, in the person of Tiger Brown and his constables, are set on Mac and he is betrayed to them by the tart, Low Dive Jenny. Once in the Old Bailey, it is discovered that Polly is not Mac’s only wife. The story mounts to a hilarious and pseudo-operatic climax. On the way through criminal hide-ways, comic bordellos, old clothes shops and cells, are some of the wittiest songs of the century from the “Tango of Immoral Earnings” and the “Song of Sexual Obsession” to the sinister and chilling “Pirate. Jenny.” Through all this, Brecht

has a few harsh things to say about charity, poverty and exploitation. To give these low jinks the proper setting, for the Court Theatre’s production of the musical, Tony Geddes has used old sheets, dipped, dyed, torn and sewn to create a world of tatters and rags — a beggar’s world.

The cast is one of the largest assembled at the Court Alistair Browning plays Mac the Knife and Alison Quigan plays Polly, the girl Who starts out as a sweet thing but ends up as ruthless as the rest As Polly’s appalling parents, Jiidie Douglass and Lewis Rowe rule the beggar world. Tiger Brown, the corrupt chief of police is

played by Richard Poore and as the tough, but gallant tart who betrays Mac, Yvonne Martin takes the role made famous by Lotte Lenya. John Densem has arranged the score for a small ensemble and is musical director of the production.

Presenting his first production since his return from England, is the Court’s artistic director Elric Hooper. His experience with Brecht’s company in Berlin and Joan Littlewood’s Brechtian company in London make “The Threepenny Opera” a work very familiar to him.

The production will open on August 18 and run for five weeks.