• Review For Us
  • List Your Show
  • Advertising
  • Musicals
  • Plays
  • Ballet & Dance
  • Previews
  • First Look
Theatre Weekly
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Digital Theatre
  • Tickets
    • Last Minute
    • Cinema
    • Discounts
    • Musicals
    • Plays
    • Opera
    • Dance
    • Concerts
    • Attractions
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Theatre Weekly
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Digital Theatre
  • Tickets
    • Last Minute
    • Cinema
    • Discounts
    • Musicals
    • Plays
    • Opera
    • Dance
    • Concerts
    • Attractions
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Theatre Weekly
No Result
View All Result
Home Reviews

Review: The Knight of The Burning Pestle at The Barbican

Elizaveta Kolesnikova by Elizaveta Kolesnikova
June 5, 2019
Reading Time: 3min read
Nazar Safonov c Johan Persson Knight of the Burning Pestle Review at The Barbican

Nazar Safonov c Johan Persson Knight of the Burning Pestle Review at The Barbican

Following their highly praised Measure by Measure, performed at The Barbican in 2015, Cheek by Jowl return for four days only with their interpretation of Francis Beaumont’s The Knight of the Burning Pestle. And it’s a freshly modern, polemic and truly hilarious show that proves that farce can be classy and relevant.

The plot of the original meta-drama follows the performance of another play called ‘The London Merchant’. However, a couple of audience members interrupt the actors from the very beginning, questioning their acting, costumes, storyline and demanding a different kind of show. So, we follow two plays performed in turns on the same stage: the original one, The London Merchant, and the new one, created on the spot by our intruders demands, The Knight of the Burning Pestle. Interestingly, the members of the audience actively participate in the action, taking sides, expressing their opinions, not always differing imaginary characters from real people, and in this way create a lot of dramatic and funny moments. They actively intervene in both plays, trying to make the show enjoyable and entertaining by their own standards.

From the first moment, when the fourth wall between the actors on stage and the audience in the room is broken, we follow not only the development of two different plots, but also the discussion about the role of the audience in art perception, the authority of the artists, and the purpose of the modern theatre at all. While the intervening members of the audience look like a provincials and often show their poor manners and educational gaps, we still feel that they have some justice on their side: they paid for the tickets, their money is what pays for the actors’ work, and in this sense, they deserve to see the show they want. However, the question is whether the artists have some creative freedom and whether conceptual art has the right to exist. Nowadays, the questions about the role of the art and the position of the artist are actively discussed in the media. And this play sounds very relevant to these debates.

While working with a classic comedy from the early 17th century, Cheek by Jowl’s interpretation is incredibly modern in everything from set design and usage of multimedia, to the 21st-century additions like mobile phones, references to abstract theatre, feminism and even Brexit. The play develops rapidly and the great cast makes 1 hour 40 minutes feel like a mere moment. This show makes you feel good and I could not stop smiling during the whole performance and all evening after.

If you want to see a classic farce show but in a modern and witty version, don’t miss The Knight of the Burning Pestle at Barbican. It runs in London from 5 to 8 June, and later will be performed in Moscow, Madrid, Gdansk and Toulouse.

You mightalso like

Cheek by Jowl Not True but Useful Podcast

Cheek By Jowl Announces Second Series Of Podcast ‘Not True, But Useful…’

The Revengers Tragedy La Tragedia Del Vendicatore

Full Cast Announced For The Revenger’s Tragedy (La Tragedia Del Vendicatore) Cheek By Jowl’s First Italian Production For The Piccolo Teatro Di Milano

 

1 of 6
- +
Agrippina Steklova Alexander Feklistov c Johan Persson
Anna Vardevanian Andrei Kuzichev c Johan Persson
Nazar Safonov c Johan Persson
Sergei Miller Kirill Chernyshenko Anna Vardevanian Alexey Rakhmanov c Johan Persson
The Knight of the Burning Pestle Company c Johan Persson
The Knight of the Burning Pestle company c Johan Persson
ADVERTISEMENT

1. Agrippina Steklova Alexander Feklistov c Johan Persson

Agrippina Steklova Alexander Feklistov c Johan Persson

2. Anna Vardevanian Andrei Kuzichev c Johan Persson

Anna Vardevanian Andrei Kuzichev c Johan Persson

3. Nazar Safonov c Johan Persson

Nazar Safonov c Johan Persson

4. Sergei Miller Kirill Chernyshenko Anna Vardevanian Alexey Rakhmanov c Johan Persson

Sergei Miller Kirill Chernyshenko Anna Vardevanian Alexey Rakhmanov c Johan Persson

5. The Knight of the Burning Pestle Company c Johan Persson

The Knight of the Burning Pestle Company c Johan Persson

6. The Knight of the Burning Pestle company c Johan Persson

The Knight of the Burning Pestle company c Johan Persson

Summary
Reviewer
Elizaveta Kolesnikova
Review Date
2019-06-05
Reviewed Item
The Knight of The Burning Pestle at The Barbican
Author Rating
51star1star1star1star1star
Elizaveta Kolesnikova

Elizaveta Kolesnikova

Elizaveta is a journalist by education and marketer at the present moment, she practices ballet in the weekends and reads classic plays in the evenings. Elizaveta has been in love with the theatre for years and is always happy to recommend some interesting, original, and undiscovered theatrical gems.

Related Articles

Cheek by Jowl Not True but Useful Podcast
News

Cheek By Jowl Announces Second Series Of Podcast ‘Not True, But Useful…’

The Revengers Tragedy La Tragedia Del Vendicatore
News

Full Cast Announced For The Revenger’s Tragedy (La Tragedia Del Vendicatore) Cheek By Jowl’s First Italian Production For The Piccolo Teatro Di Milano

Kirill Chernyshenko Anna Vardevanian. Credit Johan Persson
Interviews

Interview: Anna Vardevanian on The Knight of the Burning Pestle

Agrippina Steklova Sergei Miller Alexander Feklistov c Johan Persson
News

Full Casting Announced For Cheek By Jowl’s The Knight Of The Burning Pestle Ahead Of London Performances At The Barbican

Roy Budds Phantom of the Opera Live
News

Roy Budd’s Score to The Phantom at the Opera to be Performed for One-Night Only at the Barbican

Gecko Credit Richard Haighton
News

Gecko to Make Barbican Debut with The Wedding

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Follow Us

  • Following the success of their online Summer Spread of courses, Wise Children announce The School for Wise Children’s Workrooms @WiseChildrenCompany #Theatre #TheatreWeekly #LondonTheatre #emmarice #theschoolforwisechildrensworkrooms #wisechildren
  • Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has confirmed that they will be unable to go ahead with their plans to present 101 Dalmatians as part of their 2021 season #Theatre #TheatreWeekly #LondonTheatre #101dalmatians #regentsparkopenairtheatre
  • #Interview: Ivan Oyik stars in the 2019 Papatango New Writing Prize-winner Shook by Samuel Bailey, which has been filmed and will be available to watch online from Friday 5 February @Papatangotc #Theatre #TheatreWeekly #LondonTheatre #andreahall #ivanoyik #josefdavies #joshfinan #papatango #samuelbailey #shook #southwarkplayhouse
  • Following the success of their live online Murder Mysteries in lockdown last year, enjoyed by some 750 households, GSC return with a brand-new case, The Verona Lounge #Theatre #TheatreWeekly #LondonTheatre #elimurton #guildfordshakespearecompany #mattpinches #robertmountford #sallycheng #sarahgobran #simonnock #theveronalounge
  • Liam Evans-Ford, Theatr Clwyd’s Executive Director, has been named the new Chair of Welsh theatre and arts centre development agency Creu Cymru @theatrclwyd #Theatre #TheatreWeekly #LondonTheatre #creucymru #liamevansford #theatrclwyd
Twitter Facebook Youtube Instagram

At Theatre Weekly we give theatre a new audience. You'll find our theatre news, theatre reviews and theatre interviews are written from an audience point of view. Our great value London theatre tickets will get you the best deal for your theatre tickets.
Theatre Weekly, Kemp House, 152 - 160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising

Recent News

Emma Rice School for Wise Children

Wise Children Announce The School For Wise Children’s Workrooms

101 Dalmatians Regents Park Open Air Theatre

101 Dalmatians No Longer Part of Open Air Theatre 2021 Season

© 2020 Theatre Weekly

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Tickets
  • Digital Theatre
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Contact Us

© 2020 Theatre Weekly

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Cookie Policy.