The Tragedie of Cymbeline
January 31st, 2011 § Leave a Comment
In the first folio Cymbeline was considered a tragedy which is hard to believe after seeing the Fiasco Theatre’s hilarious rendition of it at the New Vic last week. I knew little about the show before seeing it which made the experience more exciting.
Like Shakespeare’s other romances, Cymbeline contains a heavy dose of deus ex machine. The show was more of a romp than anything else: Cloten’s death received more laughs than any joke in the play (possibly due to Fiasco’s inventive staging). The actors were wonderful at bouncing between the characters in the play; Fiasco only had six players performing all the parts. Using a smaller cast heightened the comedic elements especially during the final confrontation when every character was on stage. I am definitely seeing their next production.
I’m glad I started this project. I never would have seen Cymbeline otherwise. It’s not a widely referenced piece, not a history, and therefore not on my radar.
