You Never Can Tell by Bernard Shaw

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Originally uploaded by dwri.

January 8, 2006

Garrick Theatre, London, UK

Our last day in London as a group turned out to be a real treat complete with my favorite production of our stay, You Never Can Tell by Bernard Shaw and performed at the Garrick Theatre. Funny, entertaining and relevant are the first three words that come to mind when reflecting upon the show. The acting was top notch, and each character’s sense of timing meshed well to produce a natural comedic presence. Written in 1896, the material felt just as fresh today as I’m sure it would have during Shaw’s day, as he tackles themes of women’s liberation, the generation gap and gender comparisons. Looking at production value, I feel this show was the most enjoyable of our trip and a notch above the others in pure talent, dedication and delivery. Specifically, the portrayal of Valentine (Ryan Kiggell) and the Waiter (Edward Fox) moved the dialogue forward smoothly and effortlessly, and the rest of the cast complemented flawlessly.

Staged in four simple acts with a different setting for each, the play seemed to flow at a very comfortable and appropriate pace. The comedic timing and stage presence of Kiggell proved to be extremely seasoned, despite his recent entrance into professional acting, graduating just four years ago from LAMDA. The chemistry between Kiggell and Nancy Corroll, who played Gloria and who is a fellow trainee of LAMDA, was demonstrated instantly and repeatedly to the audience, creating for a very comfortable experience. In all honesty, this play is better suited for an afternoon in the theatre than a night out, as its pace suits a lazy day in the park or reading a good novel by the pool. I was astonished to discover at intermission that the role of Mrs. Clandon was actually being played by an understudy, Lin Blakley. Even more astonishing is that this performance marks Blakley’s inaugural performance in London’s West End. Perhaps it is the youth and excitement of this cast that culminated together an understanding and energy unmatched by the comfort that comes when one reaches the top of the ladder. Whatever the formula is, the cast of the Garrik’s production of You Never Can Tell produced a very professional and natural performance.

The pace of Shaw’s writing seems to also match the tone of a long afternoon walk, and this writing style is further mimicked by the location in which he sets each act, most of which revolve around the water and one’s ability to enjoy its mystique. The truly amazing attribute of Shaw’s writing is his ability to make the material so accessible to everyone, funny to most, extremely witty to some, yet socially relevant to all. The theme of gender equality would not truly be tackled from a legalistic standpoint until twenty years later, yet Shaw insisted on raising the social importance of gender status in the class hierarchy, carefully intertwining his opinion into his very funny and accessible language.

Trying to categorize the type of comedy implanted in this work, Roger Warren suggests in the program’s forward that “perhaps it is best to forget about labels altogether, and to relish the life-enhancing quality of this ‘delectable entertainment.’” This production enhanced the idea of this work being “delectable entertainment” without getting in the way with modernistic approaches such as overshadowing the play’s content with innovation (as done in Twelfth Night) or failing to communicate an idea due to overlooking the natural charm of live theatre and replacing it with digital catastrophe (Woman in White). The performance worked for a number of reasons, but the major ones being that its cast was extremely talented and properly cast in their roles and that the play focused on the content of the script and worked to best portray that content in its original sense so that a modern audience would be able to understand and emphasize properly.

In regards to Wolfgang von Goethe’s tripartite instrument, I believe that the production was trying to carefully understate very important social issues by overstating the comedic presence of the writing. The comedy was further enhanced through the usage of setting that was equally over-the-top, but in a manner that suited the setting, dialogue and individual relationships on stage. Essentially, the play would be enjoyable to all who watched, but only those audience members willing to read between the humorous jokes and purposefully awkward moments introduced for comedic enhancement would understand there is a whole lot more being discussed during this turn of the century production. I feel as though this production properly executed Shaw’s original intent and it was extremely worthwhile to do so. The show felt natural and comfortable.

The blocking of the show was well-imagined and nicely executed, as each scene felt new and worked well to complement the full use of hand props and a realistic set. My favorite scene during the show was the first, taking place in Valentine’s dentist office. This scene allowed for the actors to reveal the personalities of their respected characters while establishing the pace for the rest of the evening. Furthermore, since the show’s action took place in only four segments, it allowed for very intricate and imagined sets and required the full usage of material props to make the action seem turn of the century and real yet comedic at the same time. This show would not have worked as well, even with this talented set of actors, in a unit setting with limited hand props. Given the costuming and the setting of the show, the lines required a real environment to support them. The combination of intricate hand props and sets combined to support the comedy in an effortless manner, but without these elements, the play would have stumbled in transporting the audience into a different generation and forcing them to think as an audience member would one hundred years ago.

Overall, the play would have been solid and well received due the talent of it actors. However it is the properly executed costuming and scenic design that aid the setting of the play and recreate a subtext within Shaw’s clever humor. After witnessing this production, it is easy to understand why the term “Shavian” is tossed around so readily in the theatrical world, as he managed to utilize techniques in scripting that others had established while writing in his own voice to provide humor with an understated observation of social rights. As the waiter says, “A hotel is a refuge from home life.” As is the theatre, and Shaw’s writing allows the audience to remember that life is, after all, humorous, and worth observation.