Review: Volporne XXX

No nudity, but sexy styling and a high-quality cast

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This version of Ben Jonson’s Volpone, created by the Heck Collective, ditches 1600s Venice for the 1980s porn industry.

The play centres around Volpone, an ageing, heirless and extremely bored porn veteran. He uses his servant, Mosca, to help him convince his associates into thinking he is about to die, and then a scramble for his vast fortune and a place in his will predictably ensues.

The set (which is the interior of Volpone’s shag-pad) has been imaginatively designed, incorporating 80s décor and lurid colours, whilst still serving as a multi-faceted playground for the cast. There is a live band on set and the original 80s-themed music from Nathan Klein is an added bonus.

Beatrice Xu drives the show, enthralling the audience with her manipulative and cunning rendition of Mosca, the servant/sexretary of Volpone. She also demonstrates a remarkable control over her physical environment – bounding from one side of the stage to the other in an instant.

Images by Tom Shore

The acting is consistently of a very high standard in this production; Will Stanford gives an emotional and terrifying performance as Corvino, the jealous, desperate husband of Celia.

Adapting a play from 17th century wasn’t always going to be smooth and some of the later choreographed sections were a bit rough around the edges – particularly near the end – and at times the band heavily drowned out (I imagine) some particularly crucial lines. There were also moments where Jonson’s flamboyant language, spoken in clipped English, really grated against the 1980s Cali porn industry setting.

Although there were parts where  the old play and its new setting just didn’t match up, it is plain to see that a huge deal of thought and hard work has gone into creating Volporne, and in places, it really works.

The production – showing until Saturday at the Keble O’ Reilly – should be seen for its creative daring, sexy styling and high-quality cast.