THEATRE REVIEWS

A notice, “This production contains strong language,” pinned to a pillar, greeted us on arrival at the Minerva Theatre entrance. We’d been warned. The first scene certainly needed the warning and a couple near us walked out within 10 minutes. But they missed a treat. Although some may have winced at the language there was much laughter throughout the performance.

The Brothers Marquez, John and Martin, who have written the play, are the only actors and are on stage continually throughout its two hours duration. They portray twelve different characters, in six pairs, speedily transforming themselves with the aid of wigs, moustaches, hats, jackets, accents and mannerisms. Their stand-up comedy repartee is short, sharp and pithy, and we can readily identify stereotypical characters. Their acting is superb and they can also dance.

Act 1 consists of ten short scenes introducing us to ten of the characters. We meet two tramps, a flatulent father, Papa, and simple son, Popo, who keeps his dead mother’s red dancing shoes in a “swag bag” on a stick. The father carries a carpet bag in which there is a ventriloquists dummy, brother Pepo; an Italian Gondolier, a la Manuel of Fawlty Towers, and his English circus friend; two American showmen in the style of Chicago gangsters; two dozy Brummie weightlifters; and a Frank Spencer type with his sidekick. We get a glimpse of their unsatisfactory lives and hear about their circus ambitions.

Act 2 takes place during a circus performance and we meet the final pair, a couple of dancing trapeze artists whose typical silent exaggerated gestures “speak” to the audience but whose act always goes wrong. We continue to meet the other characters as they either perform in the circus or wait their turn in the wings. One particularly funny scene was where each character in turn arrived at the circus gents latrine, an old canvas screen, and conversed with another character. It was so clever one thought there were in fact ten actors.

Then tragedy strikes when the young tramp Popo, now the “shit boy” who clears the circus animals ’dung”, at the behest of the American showmen who wish to satisfy an important circus guest, volunteers for the “One Night Only” “Drop of Death” act and falls to his death.

The atmosphere immediately changes from one of fun and laughter to one of sorrow and remorse. The Americans are discussing the death over a meal when suddenly the lights go out. When they come on again the two are dead each with a red shoe stuffed in his mouth.

The play ends as it began with Papa rolling out his mattress. He puts his carpet bag next to the mattress and then lays another dummy on the ground in the sleeping position of the dead son.

It is a fascinating play, full of human observation about down and outs and other failures of this world who are trying to make something of their lives, even if it is only performing in a flea-bitten circus where things aren’t exactly swinging. Well worth seeing despite the strong language in certain scenes, although some would say in character. © JMB

“I Caught My Death in Venice” is at Chichester from the 29th of August until the 4th of October, 2003.