Arts News
Reviews for The Canterbury Tales
By Amy Somensky Jul 17, 2006, 2:45 GMT
Under the sardonic eye of Chaucer himself, a group of pilgrims each recount a tale to entertain their companions on the road to Canterbury. By turns comic, bawdy and sublime, these great theatrical tales and their tellers are a vivid testimony to Chaucer’s insight and human nature. THE WIFE OF BATH AND OTHER TALESAs the colourful characters near Canterbury perhaps the most famous of the pilgrims, the worldly-wise Wife of bath, ...more
London: Here is a selection of reviews for The Canterbury Tales which is now playing at the Gielgud Theatre:
Guardian
This is London
Theatre.com
This new adaptation by Mike Poulton is two self-contained productions that can be seen seperately and out of order.
Under the sardonic eye of Chaucer himself, a group of pilgrims each recount a tale to entertain their companions on the road to Canterbury. By turns comic, bawdy and sublime, these great theatrical tales and their tellers are a vivid testimony to Chaucer’s insight and human nature.
The first part, which will play Monday, Thursday afternoon, Friday, and Saturday afternoon, contains The Knight, The Miller, and Other Tales. The pilgrims’ journey begins with the pageantry and spectacle of The Knight’s Tale as chivalrous rivals compete for their love’s affections. Later love is of a different vein in the shape of the bawdy Miller’s Tale, before the farmyard chaos of the Nun’s Priest’s Tale as the vain cockerel Chaunticleer is abducted by the wily col-fox.
The second part, which will play Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday contains The Wife of Bath and Other Tales. As the colourful characters near Canterbury perhaps the most famous of the pilgrims, the worldly-wise Wife of bath, regales her fellow travellers with tales of unfortunate and downtrodden husbands. In contrast the Franklin tells his romance of Arveragus, Aurelius and Dorigen steeped in the lofty ideals of chivalry and courtly.
Gregory Doran, Rebecca Gatward, and Jonathan Munby direct a massive cast that includes Nick Barber, Claire Benedict, Daon Broni, Dylan Charles, Paola Dionisotti, Lisa Ellis, Christopher Godwin, Mark Hadfield, Michael Hadley, Anna Hewson, Edward Hughes, Michael Jibson, Michael Matus, Barry McCarthy, Chu Omabala, Ian Pirie, Joshua Richards, Christopher Saul, Katherine Tozer, and Darren Tunstall.
The creative team includes music by Adrian Lee, design by Michael Vale, lighting design by Wayne Dowdeswell, and sound design by Jeremy Dunn.
Both productions are set to run through September 30th.
