★★★★
Inventive, magnetic, and wonderfully twisted, YESYESNONO’S The Glorious French Revolution (or: why sometimes it takes a guillotine to get anything done) provides a delightfully sarcastic and anger-fueled alternative to Les Misérables.
Director and writer Sam Ward retells the French Revolution through a unique lens. Written under the framework of “five things you need to know about the French Revolution,” YESYESNONO’S company narrates a deliberately biased tale focusing on the perspective of the working people. The production’s veneer is childish and playful, exemplified when the audience throws plastic balls at Louis XVI in his bouncy castle. For a show about The Reign of Terror, it has some pretty joyful moments.
The dialogue, however, is sordid and unafraid of the violence and gore it describes. The delight and dread mix perfectly to create many sobering scenes. At one point, aristocrat Governor de Launay (Paul Brendan) narrates the insurrection against him like an air steward for a flight. The comic relief sticks for a while and then transforms into a chillingly casual description of de Launay’s graphic murder. The Glorious Revolution never lets you settle on one emotion, juggling between the fun and the frightening masterfully.
The company (Brendan, Joe Boylan, Sha Dessi, Jess Enomokwu, and Alice Keedwell) breathes vivacity into Ward’s morbid concept. From a sex-pest aristocrat to a PR-trained bourgeoise, they create a treasure trove of personalities that add to its pantomime feel. Dessi’s interpretation of Marquis de Lafayette as a cowboy is particularly enjoyable. These moments make the portrayals of abject horror and suffering even more striking. Perhaps the most memorable performance is Boylan’s depiction of a man who was so starved that he ate human flesh. Though his back is turned to the audience during this confession, his performance still wrenches your heart and churns your stomach.
The technical design enhances the play’s effective momentum. The lighting (Han Sayles), sound (Tom Foskett-Barnes), and choreography are well-intertwined and create a dynamic pace, smoothly sweeping us onto the next scene. All in all, YESYESNONO’s production is so well-executed they give the guillotine a run for its money.
My one qualm with the show is its misleading subtitle: why sometimes it takes a guillotine to get anything done. It suggests that this play is supposed to educate the audience in some way. Consequently, when the show finished, I felt cheated by the cliched and unstudied eat-the-rich sentiment. Yet this production is self-assuredly grounded in emotion. It is an imaginative expression of an honest and unrestrained anger at the current world. Don’t see this show expecting a theatrical lecture, see this as a form of catharsis.
The Glorious French Revolution is a messy, vibrant, blood-curdling, one-of-a-kind production. Though it might not be a newfound favourite, its unique voice is simply unforgettable.
The Glorious French Revolution (or: why sometimes it takes a guillotine to get anything done) will run at New Diorama Theatre until 14 December.
Words by Harriet MacDonald
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