Lacy is in love with Rose and they are to marry, were it not for the disapproval of her father and his uncle. They contrive to have Lacy sent off to the French war. Meanwhile, Ralph, a journeyman shoemaker, is in love with Jane and they are newly married, he is also sent to the French war. Lacy jumps ship, disguises himself as a Dutch shoemaker and enters the employ of Simon Eyre and with Lacy's help, Eyre soon becomes Sheriff and finally Lord Mayor. Lacy uses his disguise and position to fine his love Rose and elope. Ralph returns from war, badly injured, to discover his wife is to wed another, a gentlemen called Hammon. He leads a band of rather heroic shoemakers to the place of the marriage in order to win back his Jane.
Directed by Phillip Breen, this cast of, mostly new, actors are as good an ensemble company as any I have seen here at Stratford and this is a really good revival of a late 16th century piece. I have struggled with some of the previous Dekker, Middleton and the like that have been revived over the past few months, and that may well be more a comment on me rather than the playwrights, but this one I liked, really liked.
Set firmly in its period, this play worked for me on several levels. I never once felt that I was being beaten around the face with bawdy high jinx, I never felt that the company were wringing every last dick joke out of the script, they were telling me a story, a story I didn't know and so was drawn in. The characterisations were strong but never caricature and the comedy was allowed to spark and sprinkle around naturally and never forced, for this I thank the light touch of the director.
A great ensemble company then; but I particularly enjoyed David Troughton as the smiling, affable "madcap" Simon Eyre, Troughton with his fabulous eyes and great character creation is always worth the ticket price. Jamie Wilkes as Hammon, the twice jilted lover, turned what could easily have been a two dimensional vainglorious idiot into a likeable and somewhat sympathetic unfortunate, I enjoyed his performance very much.
This is well worth a trip to Stratford. It's a well judged production of a rather good play.
Alison Kirkwood
