Review: Moby Dick Rehearsed

Moby Dick Rehearsed was a frustrating play. On the face of it, the play sounded fabulous – a look at the complexities of theatre both in performance and in rehearsal by Orson Welles. In reality, though, it was a confusing mish-mash of meta-theatre and naturalism with some misjudged moments.

The play opens with an acting troupe trying to rehearse for their upcoming production of King Lear only to be interrupted by their director who wants to change the play to Moby Dick. From this point the audience is taken through the rehearsal process of the new play. The nature of the piece is such that complete commitment to the concept of rehearsal is needed from the start. Disappointingly, the combination of a lack of knowledge in lines and a lack of confidence in the early blocking meant the play was missing the opening energy it needed. Director Dominic Kimberlin was working with a fifteen person cast and the Barron simply doesn’t have space for such a large number so the stage was consistently over-crowded meaning the blocking was confused.

In spite of the blocking issues, there were strong performances. Kimberlin, in addition to directing, played the character The Director/The Governor and did so well. Whilst other members of the cast might have had issues in conveying that the play is supposed to be a rehearsal, Kimberlin managed to bridge the gap between the two effectively. Praise must also be awarded to Madeleine Inskeep who, despite having the unglamorous role of ‘Actor with Newspaper’, stood out as the most committed to the meta-theatre concept of the play.

Although Kimberlin and Inskeep stood out as understanding and being in control of the distinction between rehearsal and performance, it was on this difference the play floundered. Some of the monologues were directed to audience members, seemingly in hope of a connection in spite of the fact we were meant to be observing a rehearsal. These moments of audience interaction seemed incongruous to the overall tone of the play.

What did, however, elevate the play was the tech designed by the teching genius that be Fraser Craig. Using every trick the Barron has to offer, from side lights to strobes (Strob-y Dick), Craig allowed for the seamless and clever transition between scenes whilst also having a couple of lines as the character of ‘Stage Manager’. Too, the music and sound of the play, composed by Constantin Popv and Vahan Salorian, added to the feel of the play.

Moby Dick Rehearsed was a brave and novel choice of play, different from much of what has been seen in St Andrews over the last academic year. With a little more confidence and commitment to an overall concept Kimberlin would have had a great play on his hands. I look forward to seeing what he does next in St Andrews – I hope it is just as different as this play.