An action-packed and unconventional day in the life of Karl Marx and his family proves to be a feast for the eyes and ears
Marx in London! is set on one day in 1871 – the 14th August. We’re informed of this at regular intervals by the Spy (Jamie MacDougall), a character who opens his first official update by declaring there was nothing remarkable about Karl Marx’s current behaviour. How things were to change!
The opening act of Jonathan Dove’s production has us swept into a family setting – Karl Marx (Roland Wood), playing a rather suggestive game of chess with Helene (Lucy Schaufer), his housekeeper, when not being disrupted from his ‘work’ by his daughter Tussi, played by Rebecca Bottone. Soon, the troubles of Marx become apparent – the bailiffs arrive, and Tussi is distracted by a young man outside (Freddy – played by William Morgan), who she perceives to be a spy. Chaos ensues, and further exacerbated by the arrival of Jenny Marx (Orla Boylan), resplendent in an impressively expansive purple gown, and friend Friedrich Engels (Alasdair Elliot). We’re whisked through a pawnbroker, a reading room, a speaking contest in a pub, through the London streets on a moving (and occasionally, flying) furniture cart, an angelic penny farthing, and back home, as the story unravels its various threads, complete with fourth-wall-breaking plot twist.
Ingenious use of set design and decoration is prevalent throughout – with frequent usage of split level stages and manoeuvrability of every element of set furniture. In the first instance, Karl Marx is shown in his writing room, separated from the uproar, whilst the bailiffs attach various furniture items to ropes in the living room, from which the items are suspended in mid air. This device is used to great effect throughout the performance, and the use of multiple eye levels and increasingly frantic movement on stage mimics the inner turmoil shown by the characters. The use of a video backdrop worked perfectly, and appeared deceptively effortless, and the supertitles above the stage were much appreciated too.
The orchestra were impeccable, lead by David Parry, and the performers were wholly in sync with the music throughout, and vice versa – this is clearly a well honed relationship.
Singing was pitch-perfect throughout the main cast and ensemble, hitting every note with ease. However, there was a little loss of clarity at some parts, particularly when the male characters were singing from the back of the stage, but this more reflective of the theatre space than the performers themselves. Flirty little lyrics were peppered throughout, clearly appreciated by the audience, and probably the first time the description of a carbuncle has been sung in an opera. “Another little drink” sung as duet between Jenny and Helene, was a personal highlight, with excellent drunk acting from the pair, and even more impressive was Orla Boylan being able to sing whilst prostrate, in a corset, and that magnificent gown. Costuming in general was also ideally suited to the characters, with many cycling through multiple outfits – a total of seven for our enigmatic Spy.
Taken as a whole over the two acts, there were occasions where the pacing felt a little uneven, and some scenes would have benefited from more judicious editing. Even so, the performance itself did not feel overly long, and would be a very accessible and highly recommended introduction to the opera for a newcomer.