Jamie Lloyd’s Trafalgar Transformed: Season 2 continues with Peter Barnes’ black comedy starring a highly athletic James McAvoy.
The Ruling Class tells the story of Jack Gurney, who inherits the title of 14th Earl of Gurney after his father’s passing. Jack has a huge Messiah Complex, is a possible paranoid schizophrenic and due to him also inheriting his father’s large estate, he gets caught in the middle of a power struggle with his family.
The production is fantastic and works wonderfully in the space. The Trafalgar Studios are big enough to accommodate high production values and effects but also small enough to keep the show intimate. Soutra Gilmour’s set is brilliant, with flowers that appear from the floor being a particular highlight. The lighting design is superb, with Jon Clark capturing the aesthetic beautifully. The production had a few showy song and dance numbers, adding to the surreal nature of the piece. Whilst not the most complicated and intricate choreography (which it didn’t need to be), Darren Carnall’s steps and movement help with the progression of the story. It is all tied together with Jamie Lloyd’s excellent direction, which is no surprise (to quote my Urinetown review) as “it seems that everything Jamie Lloyd touches turns to gold”, with The Ruling Class keeping this in check.
On James McAvoy:
“One of the most versatile young actors working right now”
The play itself is wonderful. Whilst the majority of the play is comedic, particularly in act one, there are a fair amount of highly dramatic scenes, which managed to fit in well. The mix of comedy and drama is crafted with care by Barnes and it pays off. Be the piece funny or serious, it is always sharp. This is the wittiest play I have seen in a long time, with some of the wittiest writing and language I’ve seen in an even longer time. Even though the play was originally performed in 1968, it seems as fresh today, which is a credit to the late Barnes.
The cast are all brilliant, working like a well oiled unit. The rapport between performers in the piece is absolutely necessary as it heavily relies on comic timing, with the execution being pitch perfect all the way through. Standout performances come from Anthony O’ Donnell as manservant Daniel Tucker, who bring a great energy to the highly comical role, Kathryn Drysdale as Grace Shelly, an actress put up to help Jack through his madness and (what I’m assuming is, couldn’t tell because of make-up and costume) Forbes Masson as another schizophrenia with a Messiah Complex at the end of the first act. However, the star here is James McAvoy as Jack, proving to be one of the most young versatile actors working right now. He is incredibly athletic, prancing about the stage and throwing himself every which way. He has full control over his voice and is a highly commanding stage presence. There’s a reason he draws in a good crowd and this is a full showcase of his abilities.
To conclude, if you see anything that resembles a ticket, grab it whilst you can. This razor sharp comedy with some stellar performances, particularly from McAvoy is not to be missed!
Photo credits: The Standard, Love Theatre, The Telegraph
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