Review: SCARAMOUCHE JONES, Stream.Theatre (Online)

Photo credit: Bonnie Britain

The year is 1999 and the countdown to the new millennium is on. We join centurion clown Scaramouche Jones as he retells the story of his life and counts down to his death.

Swapping the Welsh castle for the white mask is Shane Ritchie (Eastenders, I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!) in this digital revival of Jason Butcher’s one-man show. Filmed in a London theatre, the piece is currently available to stream until Sunday 11 April.

The setting of the play is cleverly done. Filmed in one room and designed to look like a clown’s dressing room, they use multiple cameras and angles to capture the action. In the absence of an audience, it allows Ritchie’s Scaramouche Jones an air of intimacy to his performance. 

Born to a gypsy in Trindad in 1899, with a less than savoury profession Scaramouche’s father is white we know this much. He is told he is English, and this is a source of fascination throughout the piece. 

We follow Scaramouche’s life journey as he is rescued by missionaries, sold to slaves, and becomes a Nazi gravedigger all on his route to England, through some of the world’s biggest historical events. Once in England, he then becomes an entertainer. 

The play is deep in meaning and could come across a little heavy in its method of telling, not showing the audience. Also whilst the music sets the scene brilliantly, the soundscapes are occasionally a little too loud, drowning out Ritchie’s dialogue. 

Ritchie, however, is excellent in this one-man show, portraying a 100-year old with such depth. He provides accents for the wider cast, of which he manages to portray all of them convincingly. He controls the tempo and the empathy of the piece, managing to break up stories of disturbing memories in a matter-of-fact way, which has an air of humour to it. 

A great portrayal from Ritchie, with a cleverly adapted ending for the digital version of the play. 

***’ Three and a half stars

Reviewed by: Emma Littler

Scaramouche Jones can be streamed here until 11 April.