The Comedy of Errors

July 24, 2021, Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Garden Theatre, Stratford upon Avon

So the #Shakespeare40Challenge, like most covid-era endeavours, has hit some significant obstacles. With the theatres shuttered for much of 2020, it was nearly 12 months between my last play outing, Henry V, and the next. In fact, the gap was prolonged more than I expected as play number 21 was cancelled about 30 minutes before it was due to start because – you guessed it – an actor had come down with the dreaded virus. Instead of The Tempest at The Globe, then, play 21 turned out to be The Comedy of Errors at the RSC in Stratford. The Tempest will have to wait for another time… [Note: it’s taken me so long to write this one up, I’ve actually seen it now and the details for that I’m sure I will post at some point in the next decade…]

Despite this setback, it was simply a relief to be back watching live theatre again. The Comedy of Errors is an early play and Shakespeare’s shortest. The plot, although as you would expect somewhat convoluted, is centred on a simple premise: identical twins (and their equally identical servants) are separated as children, but turn up in the same city years later “with hilarious consequences”. Here’s what happens:

The plot
The play starts with an impending execution. Syracusian merchant Egeon has been found illegally in Ephesus. As traders are banned from the city, he must pay a fine or face death. Egeon tells his life story to Ephesus’s Duke, Solinus, in order to elicit some sympathy and leniency. He explains that he had twin sons, both called Antipholus, who were caught in a storm at sea (Shakespeare recurring theme: tick) along with him, his wife and the twin servants, Dromio. Egeon, along with one of the boys and servants, were rescued by one boat. Egeon’s wife and the other two boys were rescued by another. Years past and Antipholus of Syracuse along with “his” Dromio have set out to find their brothers. When they didn’t return, Egeon followed and ended up in the forbidden city of Ephesus.

The story moves Solinus enough to give Egeon an extra day to raise the cash. But where will he get the money?

OK, so it’s not one of the bard’s more sophisticated storylines, and it doesn’t have the poetry or psychological depth of later works, but the RSC did their usual fantastic job of making it entertaining, and did I mention that it was simply a relief to be watching live theatre again? This particular performance was in the RSC’s newest space, the outdoor Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Garden Theatre. Right next to the permanent building, the RSC clearly were banking on their being ongoing restrictions (not a bad shout) and also I’m sure thinking that people are going to be more comfortable gathering in the open air for some time. Taking only 160 days from original conception to press night, it is something of a feat itself and a testament to the passion and dedication of the staff to pull it off in such record time.

I’ll be honest, while I thoroughly enjoyed the play, it isn’t one that resonated with me at a deeper level or that I will be rushing to see again. There were some lovely touches in the production – a scene where Antipholus of Syracuse squirts hand sanitiser into the audience was particularly funny – but overall it did feel like the slapstick was just a little too forced and incessant. It reminded me a little of Merry Wives which has a similar panto feel, but in that play you have the character/caricature of Falstaff holding the thing together. Here, while the double sets of twins provide a pleasing symmetry, what’s lost is a sense of any real particular identity of one or the other. They are almost interchangeable, frankly, and that means the play feels a bit shallow. Interestingly, the play does seem to have struck a chord with Indian film makers with at least eight Indian adaptations including a new one, Cirkus, out in 2022. And, the title gets put to good use any time anyone in the public sphere does anything remotely stupid. So, a lot.

Anyone, another one down at least and on to play 22, Love’s Labour’s Lost in… a pub!