It’s definitely Wimbledon season in Wimbledon but we are here for Arthur, a coproduction of The Egg, Theatre Royal Bath and our beloved Polka Theatre – in anticipation of a timely retelling of the classic myth and working aircon. Neither will disappoint.
Marietta Kirkbride’s Arthur is not the story of a reign and its achievements but about the friendship of two insecure teenagers, not seen by anyone: On a midwinter’s day Grace (Gurjot Dhaliwal) is waiting at A&E for her brother after playing too rough with him when a whimsical stranger appears and leads her through a portal to the 6th century. Here knights, full of themselves, are parading their testosterone in tournaments, admired and feared by those who serve in devout humbleness. Nothing gets achieved but glory for the sake of glory but never enough to qualify as king for England’s orphaned throne.
Grace is glad to meet the stranger from the hospital again, and soon this Merlin (played by Rose Wardlaw whose coat is worth a rent-out for your next pagan summer solstice wedding) buddies her up with the kitchen help, Arthur (Giles Carden), and sends them on their first quest to pick up the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. It takes many adventures through mists, enchanted woods and dark caves for these two to warm up to each other – older viewers will appreciate in particular the dramatic underwater sequence, while it might be a bit too long for smaller theatre visitors.
Expect costumes and puppets of magical trees with an attitude, strangling eels, Foley cats, dragons and our absolute favourite, a remote-controlled fox on wheels. There are ravens, boars, a green night and other challenges like a mischievous enchantress on Heelies who aims to make her son Lottie (get it? He dances a lot) the next king of England. Sound effects and puppetry are cracking, just during the first couple of songs we are a bit lost as the sound is too muffled to understand the words. And at times, the adult voices in the audience might have laughed a bit more than the children’s ones but the message of the play – that even those whose heart is in a good place don’t have to be perfect in every way – recalls with everyone.
On the way back my 8 year old co-reviewer and I speak about the possibility of time travel, if we can still refer to venue as the Mummy Penguin Theatre, why it doesn’t have any dots, why it is a good idea to go to the theatre on very hot days (it really is!) and have an ice cream before and afterwards, which teddies should be bound on the remote-controlled car first when we get back home and how many words we can rhyme with “quest”. Success, Merlin! Success, Arthur!
**** out of 5 stars
Written by Marietta Kirkbride, directed by Nel Crouch
Arthur is playing at the Polka Theatre until 9 August, tickets from £10
Sadie takes the Stage 