Review: THE PRINCE, Southwark Playhouse

Jen and Sam are trapped in a world that isn't theirs. As Shakespeare's complete works unfold around them in a peculiar multiverse of sorts, there's more to the characters and Jen seems to be the only one who picks up their subtext. Should she stay back to help Hotspur and Prince Hal, risking her only chance to escape, or shall she leave them to their own literary devices and follow Sam back to reality?

The Prince is a weird concept. With a flurry of gender theory and top-notch queerness enveloped by sword fights and iambic pentameter, it's a refreshingly sacrilegious approach to Shakespeare.

Writer Abigail Thorn re-examines Shakespearean roles and throws them into an eclectic, anachronic system. The risk pays off until about three-quarters into the show. Directed by Natasha Rickman the production is amusing and enthralling, but the scripted ending stands on wobbly feet and the framing never gets the explanation it needs to be satisfyingly convincing.

The internal gears of the universe work well, but they're not propped up and supported by enough (if at all) context. We're meant to take their imprisonment in Shakespeare's domain at face value from the get-go, waiting on a clarification that never truly comes. We trust the process, expecting a positive resolution, but, when faced with it, it doesn't shed any light on the initial cause.

Thorn focuses the spotlight on Hotspur (Thorn herself) in a creative, inventive experiment. She explores the psychological sphere of a handful of characters with a contemporary lens, remaining surprisingly faithful to the original text. Chunks of Henry IV Part One and a hint of Hamlet are introduced without much change to it, adding external input from the figure of Jen (Mary Malone), an outsider of the stories told and bona fide modern social justice heroine.

Jen kick-starts a reflection on the cages we choose and those we are thrust into. Hotspur is a hot-tempered, proud soldier clad in an armour that slowly falls off him. He clings to his assigned role but is drawn to Jen, who sees through the societal curtain into Hotspur's real gender identity. Jen's physical touch creates a seismic change that alters their predestined journeys while Sam (Joni Ayton-Kent), on the other hand, is against any kind of interjection.

Jen tugs at Lady Kate's (Tianna Arnold) feminist instincts, Prince Hal (Corey Montague-Sholay) is pushed into accepting his sexual orientation, King Henry and Northumberland (both played by Ché Walker in an interesting feat of double-casting) appreciate their part in being a father before anything else. She also accidentally outs Hotspur as trans to her own wife.

Their collective awakening to the rules of the game and growing awareness to the performative nature of their lives breaks them free from the constraints of that universe. This is the key to the project and the cause for the rupture in the fabric of the metaverse. It's not as immediate as it should be and requires some analytical effort to fully appreciate Thorn's work.

Thorn also challenges the language that surrounds toxic masculinity and a man's honour. Shakespeare's vernacular relating to femininity, valiancy, and valour is re-read under queer lights and ultimately spun into a way to save the characters from themselves.

There's a cool aura to the production. Designer Lulu Tam hosts the action on a postmodern stage surrounded by the audience on all sides. Unusually, the costume design credits are shared between Tam and Rebecca Cartwright with the former taking care of present-day designs and the latter tending to the historical clothing. The result is an interesting-looking concoction of chainmail and sheer mesh tops.

The Prince offers many brilliant ideas and equally precise performances; it's also an exceptional lure into Shakespeare's own world for the skeptics and uninitiated. While its resolution might not be as powerful as it could be, the play serves its purpose well. It pushes the viewer to reconsider their preconceived notions on characters that usually portray certain patriarchal standards and invites them to reach a different perspective. The piece has all the potential to be a subversive sensation.

The Prince is at Southwark Playhouse until 8 October.

Photo Credit: Mark Senior

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