A Stratford Changeling

The first of the four plays on my Stratford schedule this year was The Changeling by Thomas Middleton (a reputed Shakespearean co-author) and William Rowley.  Of all of the plays I have seen at the festival, this was the first that left me disappointed.  It sits firmly in the fourth spot for 2017's trip.

I knew nothing of the play prior to seeing it, other than a friend's description of it as interesting and creepy.  The brief description of it in the Stratford Festival guide sounded interesting indeed.  When tickets became available late last year, it fit into the time frame with the other plays that I wished to see.  Plus, the cast included Ben Carlson, one of my favorite Stratford actors.  I decided to give it a shot.

Like many offerings at the Tom Patterson Theatre, there was not much of a set.  The action took place in Spain at the end of the Spanish Civil War.  To illustrate the setting, there were four large arches decorated in a Moorish Alhambra-type pattern.  So as not to hinder sight lines, the sides of the arches consisted of only the exposed steel beams.  There was still some interference, but it was not much.  (The head of the gentleman seated in front of me was about as much of an impediment.)  The other noteworthy set piece was a giant puppet of Francisco Franco that appeared during a parade sequence.  It fit (just barely) beneath the arches.

The story consisted of two plots.  The main plot revolved around a love triangle and an arranged marriage.  The female lead, played by Mikaela Davies, hires her father's servant, played by Ben Carlson, to take care of her fiance so that she may be wed to another.  The arrangement is ended, but the resolution leads to further difficulties.  The secondary plot had something to do with seduction in an asylum for mental patients.  Neither story worked.  The main plot was bland, and I found myself not caring at all about any of the characters.  Carlson's role was supposed to be a villain, but he was too boring for that.  Davies' lead was the second most annoying of the characters.  I didn't find her to be believable at all.  The secondary plot was entirely irrelevant and could have been excised without missing a beat.  It did, however, yield the most annoying character of the evening:  Antonio, the servant pretending to be a mental patient, played by Gareth Potter.  His manner of speech while pretending to be disturbed was incredibly grating.  I could not tell if the portrayal was intended to be serious or slapstick; either way, it failed badly.

According to the Director's Notes in the playbill, the action propels the characters "to a devastating conclusion."  Hardly.  It was more a whimper than a bang.  When the play was over, I was just glad to be rid of it.

Every member of the cast of The Changeling also performed in Timon of Athens, which I saw the next day.  The contrast was staggering.  The latter work, which may have been co-written by Middleton, was considerably better; the performances were believable and sympathetic.  The actors seemed to care about their roles, and this sincerity was evident in their work.  It was a complete change from the previous day, and it was proof that even a great cast cannot save a poor, poorly-directed story.