Review: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, Theatre at the Tabard
Photo credit: Jasmine Earl
Edmund Dantes’ life was on the rise. Well liked by those around him, promoted to captain of a ship and due to marry the love of his life, his luck seems endless and it would be a shame if anything ‘untoward’ would happen to him…When jealousy sparks a plot to make Dantes look treasonous, he finds himself imprisoned in Chateau D'if. Whilst in prison, he meets the intellectual Abbe Faria, who gives him a map to untold treasures on the island of Monte Cristo. But what to spend such a fortune on? One word: revenge.
The show was initially due to make its debut at The Old Red Lion Theatre in late January 2021, however this was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. The production team stuck with the show, and what could have been a setback was turned into a new opportunity. In July 2024, the show finally made its debut at the Brighton Open Air Theatre to great success! Following this, The Count of Monte Cristo sails over to the Tabard Theatre for another run.
The set itself is relatively bare bones to allow for a variety of props and quick costume changes, which are aided by roller-desks. A french flag hangs from the back wall in case you are in any doubt about the setting…which does move into Italy at one point. Generally speaking, the dirty colour palette of the set gives us the misguided impression that we are here to watch a serious play. This play is anything but serious, especially when aided by a costume mishap in the form of a stick on beard that won’t stay stuck.
Having thoroughly enjoyed seeing this play last year at Brighton Open Air Theatre, we thought it was a quick witted, thoughtful adaptation, which expertly condensed the book into the sum of its most entertaining parts. We come into the production at The Tabard feeling excited and curious to see how it has changed. It doesn’t seem to have changed or been updated overly much with the exception of lighting, which wasn’t possible during the open air production, and a (mostly) brand new cast consisting of co-writer and performer Oliver Malam, who plays five roles; Evie James, who plays nine roles; and Tom Telford who plays fifteen roles.
With the sheer amount of characters that each cast member plays, you’d think it would be hard to keep track of who’s who but it isn’t. Partly due to the script, which carefully navigates this web to ensure that each character has a distinct lexical pattern, partly due to rapid costume changes and partly due to the acting talents of the cast, who use their extensive physicality and vocal ranges to their advantage. Oliver Malam is a stand out performer. His comic timing is spot on as is his ability to consistently play a character who changes so rapidly within the host of other characters he also plays. He’s charismatic, which really helps the audience to engage with the more interactive elements of the show. The fact that the audience is relatively thin on the ground does not deter him as it would some actors, he uses this to his advantage and delivers some iconic improvised one liners.
It is worth mentioning however, that the show thrives more in an open air space where it has the room to really breathe. In such a space, the set becomes brighter and further enhances the comical elements which run throughout the show. Additionally, the stage space feels less intimate in a wider, more open setting, which is what this story thrives on. This is not a story which requires intimacy, if anything it needs a bigger space in order to see the full picture. There are times where the actors feel too big for the Tabard’s black box theatre. Acting for open air is very different to acting for a small, indoor theatre space and this differentiation feels under considered in this production. We feel that the production needed to change significantly in order to factor in the differences between a London audience and a regional audience and to take full advantage of the change of stage space.
Revenge just got indoorsier.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Megan O’Neill
