John Gay’s Beggars Opera was an 18th century sensation – an opera about the lowest murkiest levels of English society, featuring the popular songs of the day.
SO it’s highly relevant to today’s world that the internationally known Kneehigh theatre group should have updated this tale of a murderous anti-hero to 2019. It’s high octane farce and physical theatre at its most exciting and dangerous – dragging us into a world of shady businessmen, pollution, corrupt politicians and powerful women.
On a soaring set of scaffolding, giant slides and staircases, the actor/musicians race through a complex story centering on a local mayoral election. When the sitting mayor and his dog are assassinated the scene is set for skullduggery of the lowest form.
As business tycoon Les Peachum, Martin Hyder is every inch the villain, driven by his manic feisty wife, a big lady dressed in leopard skin and furs, played delightfully by Rina Fatania.
Leading the fight for justice, Lucy Rivers as Widow Goodman is full-throated and no mean violinist – and indeed the only survivor in the final destructive climax (spoiler there).
Anti-hero Macheath, Dominic Marsh is a chavvy wide boy in teddy boy suit, red socks, Superman underpants and a tee-shirt showing the hangman’s noose – a noose which hovers above the stage throughout the performance.
If all the musical and scenic excitement wasn’t enough, there are skilfully manipulated puppets to entertain – the said dead dog, all the characters from a Punch and Judy show and gruesome cabbage patch babies – the offspring of one night stands by Macheath at the local night club.
Of course what Carl Grose has written along with composer Charles Hazlewood, is a modern morality tale, where Money Money Money is God and we hear the cast regularly lament “What’s the World Coming To?”
They provide no easy answers but rather a call to arms to fight evil, greed, oppression and hatred, yet it’s an equivocal message, as one of its chief proponents is the multi-murderer Macheath.
It’s a dilemma we take away and the power of this magical production will make us think if nothing else.
Dead Dog is part of Brighton Festival and plays at the Theatre Royal, Brighton until May 11.
Review by Brian Butler
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