The RSC’s final offering in the Swan Theatre for their 2023 season is a revival of the Elizabethan play “The Fair Maid of the West”, originally written by Thomas Heywood and adapted by Isobel McArthur for a contemporary audience.
The play tells the story of barmaid Liz (Amber James, magnificent as always), who is forced to go on the run after a man dies in the pub that she is working in. Alongside another young lady, Clem (Emmy Stonelake), she sets up her own pub ‘The Open Arms’, where the majority of the play takes place. She is able to recruit from her pub regulars, including Bardolf (Matthew Woodyatt), who is found to have a great singing voice, Roughman (Aruhan Galieva), who acts as a bouncer for the bar, and Windbag (Tom Babbage), the local postie who has a penchant for exaggeration. Each character is likeable and portrayed well, making for a very enjoyable two hours spent with the dysfunctional “family”.
The play has been heavily changed from the original 1598 script. Richard Katz, who acts as the narrator for the play, spends the first few minutes explaining this to the audience, holding a copy of the original script and reassuring the audience that they want to pay homage to the original whilst presenting something that is very different. I believe that the change is possibly for the better – I don’t know the original script, but the result of the changes allows for up to date references and music which resonate well with a 2023 audience.
In fact, the play is punctuated with reimagined pop-songs throughout, culminating in an incredibly fun karaoke montage at the end of the first act. The music brings the play to life – there isn’t too much (it’s definitely not a musical) but just enough to move the play along and leave the audience wanting more. Before the show and during the interval, a band was also playing in the bar, helping to set the tone for the evening and creating a fun atmosphere from the moment you enter the theatre.
The play is simply a joy from start to finish. The staging, complete with usual theatre seating replaced with bar stools and pews, makes the audience feel part of the action. I would love nothing more than to spend an evening in The Open Arms enjoying Bardolf’s music and watching Roughman throw the ruffians onto the street. There is nothing too surprising about the plot, there are no twists for you to continue to dissect long after the play has finished, but this doesn’t detract from the sheer fun of the play.
The main storyline focuses on Spencer (Philip Labey), who tries to woo Liz throughout the first half before going missing in Spain. The second act follows our motley crew as they journey to Spain to try to find Spencer. It’s at this point that the play veers a little into “silly” territory, but there were no complaints from me. In fact, David Rankine’s King of Spain is one of the highlights of the show. Completely ridiculous in a wonderful way.
Overall, this play is sure to leave you with a smile on your face. One of the most fun nights I’ve had for a while. I cannot recommend enough. This year’s RSC season has truly ended on a high.
Tom Morley, December 2023
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