One Man, Two Guvnors

        There seems to be a trend in the theater right now of taking classical literature or plays and adapting them into "new" works for modern audiences. This has been done with this seasons Tony winning Venus in Fur, and the play in question One Man, Two Guvnors. Think of it as the theatrical equivalent of "10 Things I Hate About You" or "She's the Man".

     One Man, Two Guvnors comes to us courtesy of The National Theater in Great Brittan. It is adapted by Richard Bean from the classic 1743 comedy The Servant of Two Masters. In it, the permanently ravenous Francis Henshall finds himself working for both a gangster and a criminal in hiding, both of whom are linked in a web of schemes, extortions and romantic associations. To prevent discovery, Francis must do everything he can to keep his two guvnors apart. For the uninitiated "Govnor" is a British word meaning employer.

   One Man has it's roots in the old Italian style of Commedia Dell'Arte, a low brow style marked by improvisation and musical interludes. In Commedia Dell'Arte, nothing was ever written down. Companies of actors would just do whatever happened, and audiences loved it. The Servant of Two Masters. One was of the very first of these types of plays to be written down and scripted, and it survives to this day.

    The sound in the theater isn't very good for some reason, and due to the cockney accents a lot of the dialogue is lost at the beginning of the play while your ear gets used to translating. Once you get used to it though, the play is very funny. You get the feeling that what is written on  the page may not be half as funny as the way the actors are presenting it.

    As Francis Henshall, Tony Award winner James Corden steels the show from the very moment he steps foot on the stage, and he never gives it back. His comedic timing and delivery are impeccable. You immediately fall in love with him and root for him for the entire performance.

    He is joined by Jemima Rooper as Jasper and Oliver Chris as Stanley, who are equally adept in their comic abilities. The entire cast spends the show playing for laughs and working very hard to get them. In the role of Alfie, a man in his 80's who has had a stroke and needs a pace maker, Tom Edden chews the scenery in a Tony nominated performance that nearly pries the moment away from James Corden.

   These folks are a team, and no one performance would be the same without one of these people on stage. You get the sense of a very rehearsed improve group giving you a unique experience that will never be repeated. Nicholas Hytner has done a wonderful job directing, and the physical comedy bits have been expertly staged by Cal McCrystal (who also works with Sacha Baron Cohen).

   The physical elements of the production are also perfect. The English music hall inspired set and costume design by Mark Thompson perfectly execute their function as well as being fun and whimsical. They aide in the comedy and the story telling rather than just being there.

   And mention must be made of the wonderful songs composed by Grant Olding, and played by the onstage band "The Craze". The music is an English style called Skiffle, which has roots in blues in country, but is early 60's style British rock music. The Craze plays the audiences to their seats, and occasionally joins the actors on stage during the show. Even though they never speak a line of dialogue they feel like an integral part of the play.

    One Man, Two Guvnors plays on Broadway at The Music Box Theater until Sunday September 2nd. There are $35 general rush tickets available at the box office on the day of the performance. If you intend to get one of these tickets, you should be to the box office at least one hour before the theater opens. The show is also frequently on the TKTS board.