Review:  The Mystery of Irma Vep – A Penny Dreadful, The Pearly Queen Theatre

From the bright and welcoming Bow Bells pub we begin our journey upstairs to the world of The Pearly Queen Theatre, where we enter the world of the speakeasy, complete with bar, black/pink styling and an air of playful suspense. Charles Ludlam‘s The Mystery of Irma Vep beckons us.  A daunting portrait, chest, books, candle and Yorick skull, signpost our presence within Mandacrest Manor.

Curtis Burrows and Leyon Stolz-Hunter are the intense and energetic cast for this thrilling gambol, where Wuthering Heights meets The Hound of the Baskervilles, laced with a touch of the late Kenny Everett’s Cupid Stunt! The ridiculous pace of quick changes, characterisation and accents is breathtakingly bonkers and incredibly accomplished. This is a demanding play where each actor plays four parts, often talking to themselves in different roles.  The space is well used for countless entrances and exits, with split second timing, all executed in corsets, stockings and lace petticoats.   Together the actors form a compelling pairing, with wit, charm, grace and intense silliness. They make great use of both speed and stillness to draw us into the mystery, scandalise us with bawdy humour and invite us to sympathise with the challenges for each of them.

Stolz-Hunter is, at times both figuratively and literally dragging his costume and performance through the aisles with courage and aplomb. His range of accents and inflections is fast paced, occasionally stumbling with phrasing and enunciation, but engaging throughout. There are moments where audience laughter impacts the scene, we laugh further as he struggles to contain his own reaction, and yet still delivers the lines!

However, it is Burrows who is a revelation in this production. Having seen him in previous shows, I am astonished by the breadth and depth of his performances. His physical and linguistic characterisations are truly endearing, as he moves fluidly (pun intended) from the tragic Nicodemus to the seductive yet frustrated Lady Enid, to an intrepid Egyptian guide, and more. We find ourselves beguiled by the depth and effectiveness of both the coquettish Lady Enid and the wretched Nicodemus.

We enjoy drinks and conversation as the stage is reset for a second act which moves us to explore an Egyptian sortie and the eventual unveiling of this complex mystery. The pacing is not as quick or intense in the second act, and whilst it has considerable joy and laughter, it suffers from comparison with the riot of the first act. Given that I saw it on only the third day of its run, it will undoubtedly settle, and the balance of script and improvisation will become even more entertaining.

The inimitable talents of multi-creative, Glenn T Griffin, are evident in this audacious romp of this iconic play. The Pearly Queen Theatre has invested in good staging, seating and lighting arrangements, which are used to great effect. Griffin’s casting, lighting, sound and direction are what set this production apart from others.  The dedication and energy that has been committed to nuance in characters, comedic rhythm, and intimacy is outrageously captivating. There is such precise timing in the shades and pacing of lighting that both cue and respond to each actor, it is remarkable.  

True to its word, The Pearly Queen Theatre delivers a production which is indeed ‘ … camp, far from frivolous …’ and utterly joyous. From rapturous applause, to laughter, to endearing characters, this is a play that should cement the venue’s place in London’s Fringe Theatre scene.   

Direction, Lighting and Sound by Glenn T. Griffin

The Mystery of Irma Vep – A Penny Dreadful plays at The Pearly Queen Theatre until Saturday 23 May.