Beards, Beards, Beards ~ a theatre review

Beards, Beards, Beards

Produced by Adrianne Roberts for Trick of the Light Theatre & Show Pony

Text and Lyrics by Ralph McCubbin Howell

Directed by Hannah Smith

Lighting Design by Marcus McShane

Set by Nick Zwart

Beards constructed by Dawa Deveraux, Jon Coddington, Nell Williams and Erin Banks

At The Basement Theatre

From 07 to 11 April, 2015 at 7pm

Published at http://www.theatreview.org.nz

Ralph McCubbin Howell’s newish play ‘Beards, Beards, Beards’ is a work of light content but it sure has significant gravitas, not that you’d necessarily notice as you whizz at a million miles an hour through the whimsical eccentricity of the script, tasting the occasional tart tang of the lyrics and the zip/zap multiplicity of a plethora of outlandish performances. For all its pizzazz it is, after all, the tale of a young woman finding the courage to be who she wants to be and the voice that accompanies such a life-changing epiphany. That’s deep stuff.

Hannah Smith – director

I say ‘newish’ because, while this is its first visit to Auckland, ‘Beards, Beards, Beards’ has already gained a reputation having been received the ‘Best Theatre’ award at the Dunedin Fringe earlier this year as well as having already completed a successful season in Wellington.

Ralph McCubbin Howell

Advertised as being for ages 7 and up it was good to see a smattering of youngsters in the good sized audience and I have no hesitation in recommending ‘Beards, Beards, Beards’ as great school holiday entertainment. It’s pitched at exactly the right level for the kids but has more than enough for teens and adults as well. To say my family enjoyed the 60 minute hirsute romp is a huge understatement as it was both highly entertaining and handsomely presented.

Every bit of the impressive set (Nick Zwart) was used to the maximum and in some wildly creative ways. At the edges of the set stand freestanding picture frames which function as mirrors, portraits, bathtubs and anything else that happens to come to mind. The centrepiece of the set is a bigger frame which doubles as a full-size barber’s mirror and a doorway into the universe. Beside the central frame is an impressive brace of red, white and blue barber’s poles which light up and spin when desired. Balanced above this set piece is a giant black moustache and in front are perched all the paraphernalia of barberdom – a chair, smock, tea trolley with shaving and other equipment – and the obligatory broom. Attractive six-sectioned black and white hinged screens at either side of the centrepiece complete what is a most attractive and magnificently functional set.

Without ado two bushy barbers appear and, in mock barbershop style, burst into explanatory – and wildly comical – song. They are Samson and McSamson, ‘the greatest barbers in the land’ (Ralph McCubbin Howell and his sidekick Paul Waggott) and these boys can really sing.

Paul Waggott

They have a daughter Beatrix (Abby Howells) who informs us from the get go, in case we were wondering, that both the men are her Dads which, apart from being incredibly modern, established a place for these actors in the hearts of my family at the very least.

Beatrix, despite being precocious and in excellent voice, bemoans the fact that only men with beards get listened to, a fact borne out by her frequently being referred to as ‘that forgettable girl child’. Not good enough, says Beatrix, and she sets out to get herself some facial fur.

Beatrix, we learn, doesn’t want a tiara, she wants a beard and, while her bushy Papas can’t oblige, she is magically – and instantaneously – visited by none other than Saint Wilgefortis (Paul Waggott), the patron saint of bearded women. As it happens there is magic about if you happen cut your hair in a storm as Beatrix attempts to do and the appearance of Saint Wilgefortis herself is a simple manifestation of the said magic and who will challenge such a conjecture? No-one in this audience, that’s for sure.

I don’t know about you but the existence of this particular saint had passed me by but a minimal amount of research informs me – and perhaps you – that her name translates from the Latin as ‘holy face’ or ‘strong virgin’, she first appeared in 14th century Europe, was venerated by people seeking relief from trials and sufferings and, in particular, by women who wished to be disencumbered from abusive husbands. She is known throughout Europe by many names, ‘Uncumber’ in England, in Dutch ‘Ontkommer’, in Germany ‘Kümmernis’, in Italy as ‘Liberata’, and in Spain ‘Librada’  where her name means ‘liberated’. In France, however, where they call a spade a bloody shovel, she is known as ‘Débarras’ which translates as ‘riddance’. This show is nothing if not educational!

Saint Wilgefortis, we discover, is one miracle short of a set but can still grant Beatrix three opportunities to achieve beardhoodedness – and therefore be listened to and esteemed – by enabling her to travel back through time to enquire, from some of the great beards of history, what their beard growing secrets might happen to be.

Abby Howells

Thus starts one of the funniest – and most profound – theatrical journeys through hirsute history that you can ever imagine. While eventually settling on Archimedes, Darwin and Lincoln as her trifecta, she also connects with Van Gogh, an hilarious Rasputin, Blackbeard (not the pirate), Shakespeare, Confucius, Henry VIII (‘did I marry you?’) and an incredulous Queen Victoria. The men play all these characters with lightning fast costume changes, a multiplicity of beards, it’s all very humorous and, from a performance perspective, seriously impressive.

All ends well, as indeed it should, while along the way Beatrix makes some substantial improvements to our recognised history. Archimedes principles get a tweak, a wonderfully short-fused Darwin gets some help with his ‘Origin of Species’ and dear old Abe Lincoln gets some semantic support with the Gettysburg Address after which Beatrix realises that she doesn’t need a beard at all to be of value and to feel good about who she is because, as she decisively informs us, ‘beards are an outmoded symbol of the patriarchy’. As you can imagine this goes down a treat with the Thursday night, largely female, crowd.

‘Beards, Beards, Beards’ is a very complete piece of theatre and one for all ages. The concept is great, the set is fabulous, and the performances fit like a comfortable shoe. Despite being as polished and as bold as brass they’re way beyond slick and the actors all seem to love every second of sharing with their audience.

As a young teacher I fell in love with David Smiles’ ‘Children’s Art Theatre’ (CAT) and the magic they shared with kids. I had the privilege of working with young people myself as part of Theatre Corporate’s ‘Theatre in Education’ team in the 1970’s, and for almost 20 years with my own company ‘Troupers Live Theatrix’ and can recall the absolute joy of engaging in this work. ‘Trick of the Light’ have been in Auckland before with ‘The Road That Wasn’t There’, a show my family and I cherish, and to see this company beginning to take on the stature of CAT and TIE for my son is the greatest joy imaginable.

Abby Howells as Beatrix

They’re started to accumulate accolades too with ‘The Road That Wasn’t There’ winning the ‘George Webby Most Promising Director’ award for Hannah Smith, a couple of technical awards for ‘Broken River’ (Marcus McShane and Tane Upjohn-Beatson), the ‘Playmarket and Capital E National Theatre for Children Outstanding New New Zealand Play’ award for ‘The Road That Wasn’t There’ by Ralph McCubbin Howell and the ‘Chapman Tripp Award for Production of the Year’, again for ‘The Road That Wasn’t There’. That’s impressive stuff for such a young company and the talent and integrity they each show, with both their work and their approach to it, is simply fantastic.

At the heart of ‘Beards, Beards, Beards’ is a quite simply stunning script but scripts only work if they are brought to life and this one has life to burn. Hannah Smith is clearly one very talented director to pull all this together and to make it look so easy. Ralph McCubbin Howell is one hell of a writer and he and Paul Waggott make acting look like the only job a young man could ever possibly want. Their team work is astonishingly good, the singing is powerful and the harmonies true, and the ensemble playing carries the audience before it like a tsunami.

Paul Waggott as Saint Wilgefortis

Last though is Abby Howells whose Beatrix is an absolute delight. She matches the men in every way (except in the facial hair department) and she sings like a star. She never falters as she weaves us up in the complex plot and she tells the story like a champion. I loved her nuanced performance with all its subtleties and when Beatrix has her epiphany I cheered along with everyone else. Son Finn, age 12, was really happy that Beatrix found herself and the fact that she had two Dads, like he has two Mums, was a bit of a rare bonus.

It’s a great night out and you should go. If you’re not in Auckland I’m sure ‘Beards, Beards, Beards’ with its lumbersexual stars, its dynamo actress and its magical message will come to a town near you and hopefully soon. Enjoy it if it does. I certainly did.

Abby Howells

As a bonus for Auckland audiences there’s a koha show in the foyer afterwards called ‘The Bookbinder’. You get to see ‘Trick of the Light’ twice in one night – how good is that – but not for long.

The Bookbinder

Book now!