Stage Review: THE STRANGE TALE OF CHARLIE CHAPLIN AND STAN LAUREL

The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel
A Told by and Idiot and Theatre Royal Plymouth co - Production

⭐⭐⭐⭐

It was always a sure-fire certainty that Paul Hunter (Artistic Director at Told by an Idiot Theatre Company) was going to step up and compile something like this. His fascination with physical comedy, and his keen eye for detail is happily conveyed in this piece with extraordinary insightfulness.

This play tracks Charlie Chaplin as a young man (having obtained some fame as a music hall entertainer in England) embarking on a tour. The staging is used in clever ways to tell snippets of Charlie’s life leading up to this. Portraying certain hardships of his Victorian childhood, his early introduction to stage; the time of his actual physical birth in fact! As well the set is utlised to convey life onboard ship and to fast forward to moments in Charlie’s later life. Also to convey aspects of the working life of Arthur Stanley Jefferson (aka Stan Laurel). Because the main theme of the play is to do with Chaplin’s real-life association with Stan. Not a lot of people will know that both of these comedy geniuses were part of Fred Karno’s Comedy Troupe; before Chaplin became the king of silent film and Stan went on to form his comedy partnership with Ollie. What a piece of factual knowledge to design a work of theatre around! 

Nick Haverson as Fred Karno 

Amalia Vitale as Charlie Chaplin 

The whole thing is mimed pretty much, speech is absent and the piano keys are played in a way that punctuates the action in all of those vital moments in which dialogue would usually deliver the explanation. Flash point and time-frame information is projected in phrases or a short sentence(s) onto a curtain front. Therefore, it is just like watching a silent movie in regard to format and styling – very clever! Paul Hunter’s signature and spirit is all over the direction. He is the master of quiet subtlety in physical comedy; in collaboration here with Joe Houben, this pair, alongside other creative talents, have arrived at something quite special.

A few small negatives: there are times where momentum is lost and the players seem to give a ‘break-a-leg’ effort in trying to maintain the high standard overall, and, in parts, the story telling is obviously making sense to the people involved; but is not always translating with clarity for those looking on. It could be a little shorter too, (runs for 90 minutes straight through). 

Sara Alexander in a scene as Charlie's Mother (away from the piano)

Nevertheless, the cast is four brilliant souls performing with great movement, timing, strength and energy. It must have taken hours upon hours to perfect with all the intentional haphazardness made to look unintentional. The funny walks, the ill-fitting clothes, the balancing acts, the facial contortions; all the pretence and the slapstick fun happen to the tune of music hall style songs arranged by Sophie Cotton, part of a music score composed by Zoe Rahman, and delivered live on piano, so adeptly, by the multi-talented Sara Alexander. 

Amalia Vitale as Charlie Chaplin and Jerone Marsh-Reid as Stan Laurel
Dance moves choreographed by Nuna Sandy

Enjoy Nick Haverson playing all his characters with such great heart and personality. Admire the physical expression in Jerone Marsh-Reid's acting and ditto all of this in regard to the performance of Amalia Vitale as Charlie. Furthermore, it has to be said, that no stage actor comes to the reviewer's mind who has undertaken a stage role which encompasses a full set of all-round theatrical skills as masterfully as Amalia manages here.

***ENDS***

Review by theatre critic, Debra Hall who attended the press night performance at Birmingham Repertory Theatre (The Studio), on Tuesday 25 February at 7.45pm

Photography by Manuel Harlan