The Duchess of Malfi (2014) Reviews

• Domestic Jacobean Tragedy Played Out in a Very Public Atmosphere

  l_rawjalaurence2014-11-04

  A television version of the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre revival of John Webster's Jacobean tragedy, directed by Dominic Dromgoole and with a cast led by Gemma Arterton. As a televisual piece of drama, this DUCHESS OF MALFI is compelling to watch. The camera focuses tightly on the protagonists' expressions, reminding us of just how much of a domestic tragedy Webster's work actually is. On the other hand, the frequent reaction-shots of the audience encircling the playing area make us aware of how this domestic tragedy is being played out in a very public sphere: emotions that are customarily kept private are openly expressed, whether the characters like it or not. The effect is rather like a Jacobean royal soap opera in which the Duchess (Arterton) becomes a Princess Diana-like figure trying to cope with her domestic and private responsibilities while being aware that she is consistently under attack from Bosola (Sean Gilder), and his two evil sidekicks Ferdinand (David Dawson) and the Cardinal (James Garnon). Strictly speaking, the Duchess has transgressed the prevailing moral codes of her society by choosing to act independently and have children by her lover. Yet Dromgoole's production shows how bankrupt such codes are, when they are upheld by figures such as Ferdinand and the Cardinal, both of whom harbor unnatural sexual desires for the Duchess. Bosola is merely a hired hand, someone who will do their dirty work for them by humiliating the Duchess both publicly and privately. In the early stages of this production, he takes a positive pleasure in his work; like the so-called royal 'confidantes' who disclose their dealings to the press, he delights in entertaining the theater audience (as well as the viewers) with accounts of what he has done and why he has done it. As the production unfolds, however, so Bosola's attitude changes, as he comes to understand the Duchess' stoicism in the face of adversity. In Arterton's characterization, she becomes something of a Diana-esque figure in the way she stubbornly resists all attempts by the three male characters to make her submit to their will - even if protocol dictates, she will never allow herself to be compromised. In the end she is killed off, but we feel that her demise has proved beyond doubt the rightness of her cause; even death is more preferable than accepting patriarchal authority. The production ends in an orgy of violence, which in this production is staged in stylized fashion: no Grand Guignol orgies of blood here. Through such strategies director Dromgoole shows how sexual rivalries inevitably lead to destruction, especially when such rivalries involve competition for authority, both moral as well as intellectual. Nonetheless the Duchess' soul remains intact; no one has ever managed to weaken her resolve. It is perhaps invidious to talk of a production being 'relevant' (as it inevitably begs the question 'relevant to whom'), but Dromgoole's revival - brought to the small screen by executive producer Julian Birkett - inevitably prompts reflection on recent events in British monarchical history. Highly recommended.

• John Webster saw the skull beneath the skin

  bob9982018-01-07

  You may remember the scene in Shakespeare In Love when Will sees the boy Webster playing with a dead rat in the street; he sees how Webster is going to grow up to be obsessed by sex and violence. So he proved to be, and we are the happier for it watching this production of The Duchess of Malfi. The set is wonderful--small but able to bring out all the subtleties of the text. Sian Williams did the choreography, those wonderful little jigs that we are learning were an integral part of Elizabethan stage practice. Sean Gilder as Bosola is really the leading character in the piece. A killer with scruples and a mordant sense of humour who doesn't hesitate to castigate his employers, Ferdinand and the Cardinal. Ferdinand rages like an hysteric, while the Cardinal is all cold calculation (and very funny too). Finally we have Gemma Arterton as the Duchess. I've seen many actresses doing plays of this period: Helen Mirren (The Changeling, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream), Claire Bloom (Richard III), Maggie Smith (Othello), many more: I'd say Arterton holds her own in this company because she is so natural. I don't know if she went to RADA or not, but she has an ease on stage and can imagine what death feels like. I'm going to look for more of the Globe productions because they look fascinating and have thought behind them instead of cheap effects that Hollywood gives us.

• A Better Bosola would Be A Benefit

  happy_hangman2015-03-15

  A stylish production, using the physical limitations of that theatre's traditional staging to its advantage. It was, sadly, a little uneven. Arterton was good, but never seemed to fully let loose her emotions. James Garnon and David Dawson as her scheming brothers, on the other hand, were quite superb. Garnon, particularly, really understood Webster's dark comedy, and his character's roots in the formal Vice of the Morality Plays. Unfortunately the same could not be said of Sean Gilder as the scheming Bosola. Gilder is a capable actor, and gives a good scholarly reading of the part – but it's one which missed all but the most obvious gags and grotesque asides – which should throw the sudden spark of his conscience at the play's bloody end into sharp relief...but don't. He rushes (especially in the first half) over jokes and barbs which might all too easily have had the audience wincing and guffawing. A great shame, as a more subtle Bosola could have made this a truly excellent production. Arterton, it has to be said, has a great stage presence. She holds the eye – and not just because of her unquestionable beauty – in a way that she doesn't quite, on screen (where the camera is invariably distracted by her boobage before long). A good performance, and one which certainly makes her worth watching out for in future theatre work. I'd be interested in seeing if she might really let go in a less stylised, formal production.