John Hewer takes us back to the seas, replacing pondering with jests. A existential tale becomes a standup comedy routine.
How do you translate a classic novel that tells the story of the fight between a white wale and a stubborn captain to an entertaining 90-minute comedy for the stage?
While not nailing every step of the way, John Hewer definitely gives it a hell of a try in this comedic reiteration called “Maybe Dick”, performed at the White Bear Pub Theatre. The writer and star of the show takes us on a one-man voyage to do his version of Moby Dick, originally conceived by author Herman Melville, where multiple puns, mannerisms and body movements consume the evening.
Hewer, a Soho Young Writers’ Lab and Royal Court Playwrights’ Workshop Graduate, does a phenomenal job at portraying the multiple characters that exist in the novel, giving each their own speech patterns, postures and expressions. It is a dynamic, all-encompassing performance that brings the otherwise stale set design—consisting of only half of the Peqoud ship—and the simple lighting work, to life.
Another bombastic element to keep everyone’s attention is the Sound Design, masterfully orchestrated by Christopher Peters and the director Bruce Knight. The synchronicity between the performer’s actions and the diverse sound queues—storms, waves and bullets among them— is flawless, submerging you deeper and deeper into the setting.
Additionally, props are used strategically, mainly to create new jokes and/or characters. There’s a seagull who steals the show whenever it appears, for example.
Despite of all these strategies, the piece has a hard time orchestrating its own identity. Whereas Neville’s novel has more of a dramatic, existential approach, Hewer and company decide to focus on character ticks, over-the-top puns and constant gimmicks to make the experience light and breezy, whether that’s the right move or not. While some jokes make a splash for how clever the wording is, others are too on-the-nose or ridicule to be acknowledged with proper laughter. There’s particularly a dancing scene and a song parody that overstay their welcome, especially the latter since it breaks dramatic momentum and it provokes rolling eyes rather than proper cackles.
Perhaps that is why the devastating scenes resonate a lot, because of how unexpected and poignant they can be, giving more depth to an otherwise simplified narrative. What matters most to Hewer is to bring joy, although you can see that he’s trying too hard sometimes. After watching what is basically a parody or a standup set in the constrictions of Moby Dick, I wonder if the overall message of the original got lost at sea.