Review of The Spanish Tragedy

"Flawed but fascinating Kyd play" by Anne Bird for remotegoat on 21/10/09

The company which brought a lean, stripped down Thyestes to the Arcola last summer is back with a fascinating if occasionally flawed production of Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy. Directed by Mitchell Moreno with a large cast deployed lengthwise across the large, almost bare Arcola stage with audience on both sides, what impresses most is the sheer bravado and immediacy of the production.

Kyd's play was written in the 1580's and its popularity was such that it was still in performance when the theatres were shut down in 1642. Although the complications of its plot seem bizarre today, the impact of this play on contemporary dramatists such as Shakespeare cannot be underestimated. There were several moments tonight when I thought I was seeing Hamlet, and Titus Andronicus also shows that Shakespeare knew this play well.

The play focuses on Hieronomo, Knight Marshall of Spain, whose son Horatio is in love with Belimperia, the daughter of the Duke of Castile. Poor Belimperia has already had one lover murdered and his ghost haunts the play alongside Revenge, played by a little girl. Horatio is murdered by her brother Lorenzo as the lovers are about to consummate their passion in the garden and the twice bereaved Belimperia then finds herself lovelessly betrothed to Balthazar, son of the Viceroy of Portugal.

I think this short exposition makes obvious that the plot is, to our modern eyes, labyrinthine and at times just plain silly and the staging is very occasionally as confusing as the plot. However, Mr. Moreno has come up with some stunning images, the most effective being the play within the play, conducted at four microphones in four different languages. Nor does our director shy away from the blood and guts (Horatio's mother commits onstage suicide and his father, Hieronomo, tears out his tongue and then blinds himself). As in HAMLET, the play ends with many of the cast having met violent and extremely graphic deaths.

The acting overall is patchy but I must single out the excellent Dominic Rowan, who plays Hieronomo beautifully, Charlie Covell as Belimperia, Keith Bartlett and Guy Williams as the King of Spain and his brother, the Duke of Castile, and Shannon Williams (age 11) as Revenge.

To anyone interested in seeing a very rarely performed work which so profoundly influenced two generations of dramatists or indeed for a truly unusual and rewarding night out, The Spanish Tragedy is a must.

Event Venues & Times
finished	Arcola Theatre | 27 Arcola Street, London, E8 2DJ

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