Everyman

2/5 rating
Everyman | National Theatre


I believe it is an old 15 th century play adapted to modern times. 

The opening scene with the cleaning lady and the first scene with Everyman partying with his friends on this 40th birthday was done ravishingly well and very much in today's times indeed. But that's where the modernity stops.

Much of the play about Everyman's reckoning is mostly old school. May be the god fearing among us would agree with it. But it's a dialogue from my grandmother's life, if not from the middle ages. The dialogues were rhyming a bit too much for the modern era.

It was the Olivier theatre and the use of sets was minimal. There was so much more that could have been done with the sets - with the party that is turning dark and his fear, with the streets when he sleeps with the homeless, with the execution of everyone but not Everyman. The execution of the execution was so juvenile that it was almost like a school play.

At first I thought they could have taken more time to explore the relationships. But then again, it might have been a bit too boring.

I must say the acting was good especially from the cleaning lady and of course, our Everyman Chiwetel Ejiofor of 12 years A Slave fame. With a praise worthy performance, Chiwetel held the whole play together. There are only ever few minutes of stage that he wasn't there and his face lit up every emotion Everyman could get. That was the connect to the audience.

The music was beautiful and the singer who portrayed Everyman's mother had a glorious voice.

You can watch it for watching Chiwetel live. That's about it.

Comments