Pericles at Reading Fringe Festival
Multi Story is a theatre company which knows how to do fringe theatre.
Not only are they Reading Fringe Festival regulars, having been involved since its inception four years ago, but Multi Story theatremakers Gill Nathanson and Bill Buffery are also the brains behind the Barnstaple Fringe TheatreFest.
And their experience, and passion, for fringe theatre is evident in Pericles – All at Sea.
A new adaptation of the famous Jacobean play, credited, in part at least, to William Shakespeare, Pericles – All At Sea is an epic adventure tale packaged for a small Fringe stage.
Telling two tales, which interweave seamlessly and at just the right moment, the play follows Pericles, Prince of Tye, who attempts to win the hand of the daughter of the King of Antioch by solving a riddle. When the answer to the riddle proves to be a shocking secret Pericles has no choice but to flee, in fear of his life.
As he flees from his homeland, Pericles’ ship is dashed by the waves, and he finds himself in a new land, with new fortunes.
Meanwhile, we also hear the story of Marina, a bold young woman who has been sold by pirates to a brothel, and who is fighting to keep her virginity intact.
Bill and Gill play every role in the tale – and there are a lot – using different coloured fabrics, accents and props to distinguish one from the next. It works spectacularly, with each character so well defined, it’s never hard to keep up.
The duo also create a wonderful sense of atmosphere throughout the piece – we hear sea shanties, we watch props get tumbled around the stage by waves, and we see Pericles pulled in to shore by a fisherwoman in a small but perfectly formed piece of physical theatre.
Multi Story Theatre Company have a real talent for Fringe theatre, and their ability to condense an epic tale into one captivating hour is quite remarkable.
Once again it’s a pleasure to see them back at the Reading Fringe, and we wait with baited breath to see what they’ll do next year.
Caroline Cook, Broadsheet Boutique
audience comments
Wonderful show from @multistoryTC at St Anne's tonight. I remember now why I love theatre.
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Yet another great reworking of a wonderful story. I don't know how you do it but by pulling apart the narrative we all feel pulled apart with it, but then by the end we are back together again! Phew.
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Pericles all at Sea is a lovely bit of storytelling by @multistoryTC who would have thought a 400 yr old story could be so relevant to today.
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A most enjoyable evening with the ever-creative @multistoryTC. Colourful, intelligent storytelling #PlymFringe
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Really enjoyed @multistoryTC rendition of Pericles! So imaginative and captivating. Catch them on Friday at the lab #PlymFringe
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We attended the performance of Pericles – All at Sea last evening in Barnstaple.
We just wanted to say how much we enjoyed it. Your interpretation was wonderful, full of wit and charm but also with the pathos and power so important in conveying the moral undercurrent that runs through the story. The use of the coloured scarves, varied accents and just the general character portrayal brought the whole production to life. Having the map and then attaching the various locations to it provided great context and the soundtrack fitted so well with everything going on. We were completely enthralled and the time just flew by!
The St Anne’s Centre was an ideal location – a small interesting setting that enhanced the whole event.
Thank you so much for a really brilliant evening.
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Limerick Fringe
How to see the world in a grain of sand? With just two people and one tiny room, Multi Story Theatre brought us on a journey through the treacherous Mediterranean ocean, the beaches of Greece, Libya and Syria, through time and space in a show that felt both ancient and modern. This hour-long adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘block-buster’, Pericles, traced the convoluted story of a family split apart by terrible circumstances. With moments of great beauty and elegance and real comedy throughout, this fast-paced show brought this ancient tale right up to date, with the idea of ‘bodies being fished out of the sea’ fleeing danger, or the real plight of young trafficked women brought to life with great pathos and skill. I was told that this would be a master-class in theatre, and I was not disappointed, with fluid, dynamic and assured performances by two master actors.
Dr. Niamh NicGhabhann, A View from the Fringe
If you’d asked me yesterday, I’d have said that two performers recreating an epic play of princes, pirates and prostitutes, using only scarves as props, was a technical impossibility. I’d have been wrong. Multi Story’s Pericles - All At Sea in Limerick deftly succeeds in portraying high drama, feminist themes, and romance, swapping through over 50 character changes at the drop of a hat, sometimes literally.
With so many character changes, an audience could become overwhelmed but, through their own physicality and careful use of props, it’s always clear who the two actors are playing.
Poet Ben Jonson called Shakespeare’s Pericles “a mouldy tale” - and he had a point - but heavily adapted here by Multi Story, the tale becomes a gripping story of love, loss and regret, sprinkled with fourth-wall-breaking comedy asides. It’s a wonderful piece of Fringe theatre. Gill Nathanson and Bill Buffery are two performers who clearly love what they do and are stunningly good at it.
Seamus Ryan, A View from the Fringe
With Pericles – All at Sea Bill Buffery and Gill Nathanson have created a truly unique retelling and reimagining of the Shakespearean “Pericles, Price of Tyre”.
Stirring and absorbing as a journey on top of a wave, this very physical performance has every movement and sound accounted for. The quirky Fringesque adaptation of the classic story merges with the modern day take on the eternal issues of love, humanity and redemption in an elegant and humorous way. A beautiful touch with reality, and an ingenious play with the costumes – every character had his own way of wearing a different colour scarf!
The two actors’ presence is peerlessly captivating, their talent and chemistry is the third – and very well spoken – artist on stage. Truly excellent play and a credit to the First Limerick Fringe Festival!
Pepa Byrne, A View from the Fringe
