Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Friday 12th November 2016
Terence Rattigan's play,
Ross - The Lives of Lawrence of Arabia, is Independent Theatre's final offering for the year. The opening night was perfectly timed, being Remembrance Day, the eleventh day of the eleventh month, when we stop for a minute of silence at 11am in honour of those lost in WWI, the war in which Thomas
Edward Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia, came to prominence. It is also the hundredth anniversary of the Arab Revolt, in which he was involved and which brought him fame that he eventually wanted to escape. Europe divided up the country instead of giving the peoples their independence as had been promised, and he did not want to be associated with that betrayal.
After the war, he worked until 1922 as a diplomat with the British Government and Emir Faisal, but then he adopted a false name, John Hume Ross, and enlisted in the Royal Air Force as an aircraftsman. He spent his remaining years, until a fatal motorcycle crash in1935, as an enlisted man in the air force and, briefly, in the army. His first stint with the RAF ended when his identity was exposed and he then in 1923 he enlisted as Thomas
Edward Shaw in the Royal Tank Corps., returning to the RAF in 1935.
Rattigan's play begins with Ross in the RAF, facing a discipline hearing with his C.O., and then being recognised by another aircraftsman, Dickinson, who tries to blackmail him into keeping quiet. Ross sleeps and, in flashback/dreams, we see the story of Lawrence of Arabia unfold, returning to the RAF base at the end when Dickinson has informed the Daily Mail newspaper, and Ross is smuggled out of the camp.
Artistic director, Rob Croser, has assembled a very fine cast and most carefully crafted a superb production. He is very fortunate in having been able to enlist Ken Kurtz to provide all of the historically accurate military uniforms, giving an authenticity to the production. Croser and David Roach designed the set and called on the highly respected Adelaide artist, Peter Coad, to paint the huge scrim that acts as a backdrop. The lighting design by, Chris Petridis, creates a range of effects and the scrim itself also transforms into both British and Arab tents. Two revolving sections representing external walls and the men's quarters complete the set.
In the title role is Will Cox, who recently played Hamlet for this company to great acclaim. Cox has turned in another remarkable performance, captivating the audience in a characterisation filled with light and shade and encompassing the entire range of emotions. It doesn't hurt a bit that he even looks somewhat like Lawrence.
The remainder of the cast cover the numerous other roles, eight playing just one character and the other six playing two characters. At the scene changes they also jump in to become part of the stage crew. This is a big and busy production.
Jett Zivkovic is nicely cold and aloof as the self-interested Aircraftman Dickinson, the catalyst for Lawrence's review of his life, and he also plays Flight Lieutenant Higgins.
Lawrence's two bodyguards, close friends Rashid and Hamed, are played by Andre Vafiadis and Thomas Tessema (his real-life companions were named Farraj and Daud), who give some very convincing characterisations.
His biggest ally is Audau Abu Tayi, played brilliantly by Matthew Hein, whose massive booming voice adds greatly to his stature as the Arab leader.
General
Sir Edmund Allenby, who promoted Lawrence to Major and convinced him to continue his work, is played by David Roach who brings all the gravitas needed to the role of the great military leader.
Nick Buckland is suitably officious as the boorish Colonel Barrington, and Lindsay Prodea is something of a light-hearted and facetious thorn in his side as Lawrence's friend, Ronald Storrs, the head of the Arab Bureau.
There are many more strong performances from the rest of the cast, all adding to the power of the production which is yet another success for Independent Theatre.
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