THE STAGES OF DECLINE
It appears the Game of Thrones jinx has struck London’s theatre scene once again
LONDON The Game of Thrones “curse” had struck again.
That was the glum verdict of London Daily Telegraph theatre critic Dominic Cavendish a few weeks ago when he emerged from a performance of Foxfinder, a dystopian thriller that envisions a Britain under a system of martial law that decrees foxes to be enemies of the state.
Cavendish was distinctly underwhelmed — although he did concede that Dawn King ’s play might have looked better in its original 2011 production at the London Fringe than it did in a major West End playhouse.
But his primary scorn was reserved for Welsh actor Iwan Rheon, best known for his portrayal of the villainous Ramsay Bolton in Game of Thrones. And it’s easy to understand why.
Rheon, 33, is awkward, uncomfortable and unconvincing in the role of an 18-year-old zealot who works for his totalitarian masters as a pest-control specialist. Those scenes when he strips to the waist and flagellates himself to control his lust for a farmer’s wife (an underwhelming Heida Reed of Poldark fame) are so ludicrous that the audience starts laughing.
In his review, Cavendish seemed less incensed by the play and the sluggishness of the production than he was by the fact that Foxfinder is the latest example of stars from film and TV being parachuted into West End stage productions in order to sell tickets. And lately the cast of Game of Thrones has exerted a particular lure on London producers.
It’s not that long ago that Kit Harington showed up at the Duke of York’s Theatre as Doctor Faustus — an event that saw fans scandalizing more staid playgoers by toting in boxes of Kentucky Fried Chicken and munching happily on drumsticks while watching their hero’s attempts to deal with Christopher Marlowe’s daunting 16thcentury verse. Before that, there was the spectacle of Richard Madden (GoT’s Robb Stark) as Romeo.
By the time Foxfinder came along in mid-September, Cavendish was clearly fed up. “After Kit Harington’s dull Doctor Faustus and Richard Madden, so wooden in Romeo and Juliet, has the ‘curse’ of Game of Thrones struck again?” he wrote.
Star power has its place in London’s West End. The great Ian McKellen is currently exerting it with his farewell foray into the role of King Lear, one of the few serious offerings available. But it can often be a hit-and-miss proposition.
Jessica Lange triumphed in Long Day’s Journey Into Night under the direction of Canada’s Robin Phillips, but later received a thumbs-down from critics when she tackled A Streetcar Named Desire. Brendan Fraser was outstanding as Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Gwyneth Paltrow scored in Proof and Kevin Spacey had some shining onstage moments at the Old Vic before sexual scandal damaged his career. On the other hand, Richard Dreyfuss was a critical disaster in the thriller Complicit, as was Daryl Hannah in the old Marilyn Monroe vehicle The Seven Year Itch. Madonna received awful reviews for her Broadway debut in Speed the Plow but again pursued her stage ambitions in London, where she failed once more in Up For Grabs.
And now there’s the debacle of Foxfinder. And if Cavendish and other critics seem particularly vexed by it, perhaps it has to do with the current dreary state of West End Theatre, which is awash in jukebox musicals, theatrical reworkings of popular musicals, endless revivals and interminable long runs. And prices can be exorbitant: A good seat for the latest revival of Chicago can set you back $225.
In an autumn season almost devoid of serious drama, Foxfinder arrived on a note of high expectation in mid-September only to start collapsing almost immediately. Originally scheduled to run into the New Year, it will now close this weekend.