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A true story from 1604 told in a slice of surreal, deliciously brilliant gig theatre.Summary
Rating
Excellent
Set in 1604, Gunter begins to tell the story of Brian Gunter (Hannah Jarrett-Scott), the wealthiest man in the village, and his daughter Anne (Norah Lopez Holden). For reasons that are not quite clear, Brian kills two young boys at a football match. At trial, he is acquitted despite the protests of the boys’ mother Elizabeth (Julia Grogan). As word around the village starts to turn slightly against Brian, he uses the onset of Anne’s puberty to accuse Elizabeth of bewitching Anne by sorcery. This leads to another trial and eventually an audience with King James, interrupted by Guy Fawkes’ plot.
All of this sounds like a fascinating basis for Dirty Hare Theatre to straightforwardly tell us more about this piece of history. Well buckle in, because Dirty Hare has chosen to go all out in a slice of surreal, delicious brilliance, telling the story of the trials and the misogyny — both then and now — by incorporating song, physical theatre, masks, puppetry and more, with the three cast members taking on multiple roles and slipping seamlessly between them.
Co-creator Lydia Higman introduces herself, letting us know that she isn’t an actor portraying a historian but is, in fact, a historian. She tells us that the story we’ll hear is true, sourced from archives. At points, she provides narration while accompanying the piece with a variety of instruments. The music, which she also composed, works really nicely throughout, with the trumpet sounding particularly strong in the smaller Jerwood space.
The cast is all excellent. Jarrett-Scott brings a swagger to Brian, the man around town. He’s the top man, and everyone should know that – especially his wife and daughter, who must do what they are told when they are told. Holden’s Anne really shines as the play progresses and it becomes more and more Anne’s story. She is poked and prodded by older men to decide if she is possessed, and as her father’s will relentlessly bears down on her, Holden really shows the spiral Anne is trapped in.
The evening is electric, there is so much going on and so much energy put out by the cast and the play. The room fizzes, the surreal almost fever dream playing out in front of us grabs the audience and pulls us along. It feels like a true ensemble with each cast member absolutely necessary and totally in sync to tell this story precisely as they have planned. There is a sense of dedication and involvement from everyone on stage, working to the fab direction of Rachel Lemon.
It’s not hard to grasp how the intense power and privilege a rich man had many years ago – how he is believed and gets what he wants – is here made subtly related to the world now. A true life story from over 400 years ago still resonates into the present. Sadly, the records are incomplete, with far more known about Brian Gunter and the rest of his life than of his daughter, which sums a lot up really.
Co-created by Lydia Higman, Julia Grogan and Rachel Lemon
Directed by Rachel Lemon
Composer, Lyricist and Historian: Lydia Higman
Gunter plays at the Royal Court Theatre until 25 April.
Further information and tickets can be found here.
