Viva Lewes Issue #154 July 2019

ON THIS MONTH: THEATRE
The Rude Mechanical
A distinct vision
The Rude Mechanical
Theatre Company’s
latest show, Ikarus Inc,
is a wild and musical
farce. They have
toured carnival-like
outdoor performances
around Southern
England for over 20
years, showcasing the
commedia dell’arte
tradition (often referred to as Italian masked
theatre, although ‘The Rudes’ perform in
whiteface instead). I observed the troupe’s first
dress rehearsal and spoke to writer/director
Pete Talbot ahead of their Southover Grange
performances.
Ikarus Inc is a revival of an earlier, original play
produced by The Rudes. The story plays with
the Icarus myth, setting it in 1950s Indiana
and inserting gangsters, mayors, and generous
helpings of yokel patois. I get a feel of the
show after watching the second act: the mood
is boisterous and the costumes are exuberant,
including shockingly colourful wigs. It’s an
impressive performance, brimming with
creativity through movement and mime.
“It’s a kind of full-on stimulation to all the
senses. It’s not an attempt to hold a mirror up
to nature. A great deal of our work is about
recreating the play in the audience’s mind,
rather than just on the stage, hence the mime
and the vocal sound effects. We’re constantly
trying to create pictures and sounds which
provoke their imagination, so they are in effect
reconstructing it.”
The result is effective and funny, with great
comedic timing aided by the use of a literal
slapstick. Every moment is finely honed. “I
use the concept of
the million beats:
every beat needs to
be taken account of.
As we make the play
we take up beats by
putting in al improviso
[new lines devised
during rehearsals] or
a physical joke. So it’s
made very much afresh
each time.”
Performing outdoors is a traditional aspect of
the commedia dell’arte form, but also gives
them a chance to visit small rural communities,
in a unique setup. “We have what we call a
pageant wagon, which is a mobile stage. It’s very
small, 11ft high by 5ft wide by 8 ft long. Then
we put another small wooden stage in front of
that. We light with gas, not electricity, which
means we can go anywhere. It also allows us to
do quite big shows, without having to do them
in a village hall. Village halls are very limiting.”
I leave with a real interest in the vivacious craft
of commedia dell’arte, and an admiration for the
all-round standards of The Rude Mechanical’s
production. The live playing of drums, guitars,
trumpets, trombones, harmonicas, banjos
and more are often integrated into the action
on stage. The pace is relentless, and there
are vivid performances from the professional
actors on board. Even the costume changes are
designed to “create a feeling of awe”, with Pete
explaining that the audience is often surprised
that there are only six performers producing the
maelstrom. The Rudes have a distinct aesthetic
and artistic vision, that the theatrically curious
may particularly enjoy. Joe Fuller
Southover Grange Gardens, 20th/21st, 7.30pm
Photo by Glenn Overington
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