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hestia8So. This journal has been rather empty of fannish content of late, and would probably have continued that way if Twitter hadn’t refused to open on my mobile on Friday evening. I decided to take this as a sign that instead of just going ‘hahahaha omg amazing’ I should actually write something. Radical, I know.
The Recruiting Officer is a play written by George Fahrquhar at the beginning of the 18th century. It is, unsurprisingly, about recruiting officers in the British Army. The pay is rubbish (and infrequent), the discipline is harsh and the recruiting officers are more than willing to resort to bribery or trickery to get men to enlist (yes, they got a cash bonus for every one, how did you guess?).
I originally planned to see this with delgaserasca, but she couldn’t make it, so I ended up calling on my Dad to come with me (side note: my parents are not allowed to move out of London, ever).
BTW beforehand I ate at Belgo and for a change had the salmon, asparagus and dill pasta. Everything I have ever tried in Belgo is delicious, so it is a viable restaurant even if you don’t like mussels (I could write a whole review blog about places I have eaten recently I’ve been out so much in 2012 – not always intentionally).
Ok, so I haven’t been in the Donmar before but I don’t think it usually looks the way it does for this play. Sadly I can’t find a decent picture but a) there’s lots of candles and candelabras, b) the seats are arranged to cover three sides of the stage so you get a good view and c) there’s lots of wood beams etc.
As you walk in, there are some guys on stage playing music:
“ But one of the wittiest I've ever heard was at The Recruiting Officer at the Donmar last week, when the live band began the show by playing music that gradually turned into a symphony of pseudo-ringtones. Worth the price of admission alone.”
(picture and quote from The Guardian)
After everyone’s got to their seats and the men (who are part of the company) go off, we’re introduced to Sergeant Kite (Mackenzie Crook, The Office, POTC). Pretty much everyone in the main cast is someone you’ll recognise.
Kite’s trying to drum up interest in joining the army, and he works for Captain Plume (Tobias Menzies, Spooks, The Shadow Line, Eternal Law) who basically comes across a lot like Rik Mayall’s character in Blackadder (pause for Han to look this up). Lord Flashheart. Him.
Plume is friends with Mr Worthy (Nicholas Burns, Nathan Barley, No Heroics, Absolute Power etc), who is in love with Melinda (Rachael Stirling, Tipping the Velvet, Lewis). He wanted to offer her £500 per annum to become his mistress (not entirely sure why he wasn’t proposing, but this isn’t explained within the play so I suppose it makes sense in context) but then she inherited £20000 and gained a new set of airs and graces and the ability to refuse him. Rachael Stirling is hilarious in this part.
She’s also getting some interest from the amazing Captain Brazen, who is the most well-connected man in England and something of a dandy (Mark Gatiss, who I forgot was in Sherlock until I looked at the programme and so struggled to explain to my Dad what he’d have seen him in). She’s not interested in him except for her own amusement, but her maid (Kathryn Drysdale, Two Pints of Lager…) might be.
So in between looking for local girls to sleep with, Plume is interested in Silvia (Nancy Carroll, Cambridge Spies, Silent Witness), who is a friend of Melinda’s and daughter of the local Justice (Gawn Granger, everything ever). And she might be interested in him, but she doesn’t want him to know that. Aimee Ffion-Edwards (Luther) rounds out the main cast, with the musicians taking the smaller parts.
I don’t want to spoil the whole thing, but there’s also cross-dressing, bisexuality, intrigue, fortune-telling, and a sweet heart at the middle of it all.
It was a really fun play. Lots of singing, lots of musical instruments, lots of eye candy, lots of humour. If you can go and see it, I’d really recommend it.
Cast pictures:
Video preview:
Short review from me: if I had a functioning memory I would be quoting this all over the place. Very enjoyable, funny, a bit silly, and a happy ending. See it if you can.
Review from Dad: the second half was better than the first, and it really got going when Mark Gatiss was onstage.
Right, I'm off to capitalise on my fannish activity and write something sensible about Being Human.
The Recruiting Officer is a play written by George Fahrquhar at the beginning of the 18th century. It is, unsurprisingly, about recruiting officers in the British Army. The pay is rubbish (and infrequent), the discipline is harsh and the recruiting officers are more than willing to resort to bribery or trickery to get men to enlist (yes, they got a cash bonus for every one, how did you guess?).
I originally planned to see this with delgaserasca, but she couldn’t make it, so I ended up calling on my Dad to come with me (side note: my parents are not allowed to move out of London, ever).
BTW beforehand I ate at Belgo and for a change had the salmon, asparagus and dill pasta. Everything I have ever tried in Belgo is delicious, so it is a viable restaurant even if you don’t like mussels (I could write a whole review blog about places I have eaten recently I’ve been out so much in 2012 – not always intentionally).
Ok, so I haven’t been in the Donmar before but I don’t think it usually looks the way it does for this play. Sadly I can’t find a decent picture but a) there’s lots of candles and candelabras, b) the seats are arranged to cover three sides of the stage so you get a good view and c) there’s lots of wood beams etc.
As you walk in, there are some guys on stage playing music:
“ But one of the wittiest I've ever heard was at The Recruiting Officer at the Donmar last week, when the live band began the show by playing music that gradually turned into a symphony of pseudo-ringtones. Worth the price of admission alone.”
(picture and quote from The Guardian)
After everyone’s got to their seats and the men (who are part of the company) go off, we’re introduced to Sergeant Kite (Mackenzie Crook, The Office, POTC). Pretty much everyone in the main cast is someone you’ll recognise.
Kite’s trying to drum up interest in joining the army, and he works for Captain Plume (Tobias Menzies, Spooks, The Shadow Line, Eternal Law) who basically comes across a lot like Rik Mayall’s character in Blackadder (pause for Han to look this up). Lord Flashheart. Him.
Plume is friends with Mr Worthy (Nicholas Burns, Nathan Barley, No Heroics, Absolute Power etc), who is in love with Melinda (Rachael Stirling, Tipping the Velvet, Lewis). He wanted to offer her £500 per annum to become his mistress (not entirely sure why he wasn’t proposing, but this isn’t explained within the play so I suppose it makes sense in context) but then she inherited £20000 and gained a new set of airs and graces and the ability to refuse him. Rachael Stirling is hilarious in this part.
She’s also getting some interest from the amazing Captain Brazen, who is the most well-connected man in England and something of a dandy (Mark Gatiss, who I forgot was in Sherlock until I looked at the programme and so struggled to explain to my Dad what he’d have seen him in). She’s not interested in him except for her own amusement, but her maid (Kathryn Drysdale, Two Pints of Lager…) might be.
So in between looking for local girls to sleep with, Plume is interested in Silvia (Nancy Carroll, Cambridge Spies, Silent Witness), who is a friend of Melinda’s and daughter of the local Justice (Gawn Granger, everything ever). And she might be interested in him, but she doesn’t want him to know that. Aimee Ffion-Edwards (Luther) rounds out the main cast, with the musicians taking the smaller parts.
I don’t want to spoil the whole thing, but there’s also cross-dressing, bisexuality, intrigue, fortune-telling, and a sweet heart at the middle of it all.
It was a really fun play. Lots of singing, lots of musical instruments, lots of eye candy, lots of humour. If you can go and see it, I’d really recommend it.
Cast pictures:
Video preview:
Short review from me: if I had a functioning memory I would be quoting this all over the place. Very enjoyable, funny, a bit silly, and a happy ending. See it if you can.
Review from Dad: the second half was better than the first, and it really got going when Mark Gatiss was onstage.
Right, I'm off to capitalise on my fannish activity and write something sensible about Being Human.
