Blackadder II

Ad Hoc’s decision to perform three episodes of Blackadder II provided new opportunities for the group. Bravely it was decided to take the production ‘on the road’ and perform in four Bedfordshire villages. This decision impacted on the set design and presentation. Certainly the selection of Blackadder II itself would attract an audience of fans of the series. But this is a double edged sword. Fans can be demanding and expectations of performance high.  This was the challenge Clare Boniface faced and met in a very successful manner.

The three episodes were performed in the round.  The set was simple but successful.  It allowed action to move fluidly from one set piece to another. Lighting was very effective and supported these rapid scene changes. While the setting was minimal the costumes were the opposite, they were rich, colourful and entirely in keeping with the Elizabethan period. The extravagance of the costumes enhanced this production and made a stunning visual impact. Queenie’s dress was superb!

Special effects were good especially the bomb.

The ability of key characters to carry the roles made famous in the BBC series was essential to the success of this production.  Clare was very fortunate to be able to cast some very talented and experienced actors.

Rick Davis was superb as Blackadder.  He commanded the stage with his confident performance, good line delivery and comic timing.  Simon Alaluf too was excellent as Baldrick. Simon is a talented comic actor with excellent facial expressions and natural comic timing. These two maintained character and humour throughout.  Julie Young’s Queenie was another exceptional performance. Her speech, line delivery and facial expressions were well timed and very effective.  Sue Chaplin’s Nursie was another well drawn character.  Sue was very effective in bringing out the droll and bizarre nature of Nursie. These four contributed so much to the success of this performance and in particular brought these famous characters to life and made them  their own.

The supporting cast, in various roles, added more layers of comedy. Mike Alison’s suitably dim Percy, Mark Stewart’s pompous Lord Melchett, Paul Alexander’s manic Flashheart, Phil Briggs’ braggart Raleigh, Matt Rowson’s Captain and Sandra Messanger’s Bob;  all contributed to a vivid mix of wild and idiotic characters who added colour and silliness to the performance.

Clare’s direction ensured that the action moved quickly from one scene to another, so the pace of the piece was good. The well-known characters were brought to life and the absurdity of each situation was captured with humour and skill. It was evident that the audience enjoyed this performance immensely. This was a very successful transposition of a BBC series to the stage and Ad Hoc and Clare Boniface are to be congratulated on their achievement.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.