‘Into the Breach’

The Printworks, Tavistock

A one-man comedy exploring Shakespeare’s themes intrigued and tickled an audience at a show marking the relaunch of Tavistock Printworks as a live venue, writes Guy Boswell.

There were some baffled audience members who were, nonetheless, impressed by the wonderful comedy written and performed by Mark Carey last Saturday night, May 2.

The Stratford Theatre Company production was an impressive show for the Printworks to shine a light on its reinvention as a small-scale live venue, with more to come.

The volunteers who run the building stress they are not trying to compete with larger competitors and this was the perfect show for the Printworks which is gradually being refurbished for its role. It will continue to host classes and other education sessions.

In the meantime, the largely middle-aged audience were treated to a virtuoso performance by Mark who played an impressive 17 roles in mesmerisingly quick success with a rapid fire script, delivered flawlessly.

The storyline, which can be taken at comic face value or at a deeper level, involves Devonian character George Crocker joining the village drama club during the Second World War.

He then relates how he is transformed from an experienced panto dame to a role in Shakespeare’s Henry V and how he interacts with a frosty woman who he woos, his dim-witted friend who turns out to be a culture vulture and a drunken ex-Army officer.

Along his thespian journey George recalls his military service and the play satires past wars which brought the me right up to date to current militaristic events dominating the world and jingoistic comments by populist politicians.

This is a play within a play which celebrates Shakespeare and the art of acting while commentating subtly on politics and shows dramatically how worldly events affect the common man. It is based on Mark’s grandfather’s World War Two service, interwoven with Henry V and Hamlet themes of war, death, love and power.