Devised, written and performed by John Muirhead and Chuck
Mallett
Street Theatre 1st to 3rd June 2012.
Reviewed by Bill Stephens
Who would have thought that an evening of Brecht could be so
joyous, exhilarating and profoundly moving? Not adjectives usually associated
with Brecht but perfectly appropriate for this spellbinding evening of superb
cabaret.
No microphones, no setting except black drapes, just a
piano, a chair, a couple of scarves, and most surprisingly, two Ipads. Yet these
two performers, elegantly attired in black (what else?) shared their fascination
and deep knowledge of the life, from cradle to grave, of Berthold Brecht,
through his songs, poems and writings in a 70 minute virtuoso performance which
left their audience excited and enthralled.
This is cabaret as it should be. Interesting material
performed by extraordinary artists. Usually there would be no need to mention their
ages, which normally would be irrelevant, but with these two extraordinary
performers, their ages are a crucial factor in their show, because John Muirhead
and Chuck Mallett between them bring over 90 years of accumulated theatre
experience to their performance, and it shows.
Now 76 years old, John Muirhead’s careful enunciation and
strong mellifluent baritone confirm the legacy of more than 40 years working as
an actor, mainly in England, performing on stage in productions such as Tommy, Stop the World I Want To Get Off,
Boys in the Band (the original Emory) and in The Seagull with Judi Dench, as well as films including On The Beach, Ned Kelly and Juggernaut.
Chuck Mallet, a sprightly 87 year old, has worked for more
than 50 years in London’s West End, including seven years as Musical Director
at the English National Theatre during the reign of Sir Laurence Olivier. Among
the hundreds of professional actors he coached have been Sir Laurence Olivier,
Maggie Smith, Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench, Angela Lansbury and Miriam Margolyes.
In “Brecht: Bilboa and Beyond” all this experience is
distilled into a performance, extraordinary for its authenticity and economy of
focus. Witness the ease with which John Muirhead, with just a scarf tied around
his head, or a coat with the sleeves tied behind him to become an apron, or
held aloft to represent a baby, conjures up Mother Courage, Mrs Peachum, Brecht’s
lover, Arnholt Bronnen or a whole stage full of Brechtian characters.
Marvel at how simply and unobtrusively Chuck Mallett, in
addition to providing superb piano accompaniment and exquisite musical settings
for several of Brecht’s poems and writings, further enhances the performance by
occasionally leaving the piano to join Muirhead in songs or dramatic vignettes.
"Brecht: Bilboa and Beyond" is a highly polished and deeply entertaining experience,
not so much in a laugh-out-loud way, but more profoundly, from the privilege of
sharing with the rest of the audience a very rare and special theatrical
happening.
