{"id":2090,"date":"2020-02-24T16:21:57","date_gmt":"2020-02-24T16:21:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/?p=2090"},"modified":"2020-02-27T12:38:39","modified_gmt":"2020-02-27T12:38:39","slug":"review-the-three-muskateers-at-nst-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/2020\/02\/24\/review-the-three-muskateers-at-nst-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: The Three Musketeers at NST City"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"660\" height=\"372\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4nBqodPIfao?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-GB&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><figcaption>Audience reactions to <em>The Three Muskateers<\/em> at Nuffield Southampton Theatres<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:right\">By Thea Hartman<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I didn\u2019t know what to expect heading into the NST for Le Navet Bete\u2019s production of Dumas\u2019 classic <\/strong><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nstheatres.co.uk\/whats-on\/the-three-musketeers-a-comedy-adventure\">The Three Musketeers<\/a><\/strong><\/em><strong>. Subtitled \u2018A Comedy Adventure\u2019 and with a poster with some rather striking facial expressions and a BMX, I wasn\u2019t sure whether I was about to watch the actual musketeers being heroic or four men running around in musketeer outfits for children\u2019s enjoyment. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As it turned out, it was definitely more of the latter, but without the negative connotation \u2013 I enjoyed the running around perhaps more than the children. The classic, exhibitionistic comedy acting was finely interlaced with a sterling production, and a script which is both timely and timeless. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nstheatres.co.uk\/\"><strong>Nuffield Southampton Theatres spring season filled with literary adaptations<\/strong><\/a>, this production does not beat around the bush when it comes to questions of adapting a literary text and tailoring it to their audience. The apparently necessary aspect of historical and textual accuracy is dropped from the very beginning, when the four actors present themselves to their audience out of costume, breaking the fourth wall and clarifying that the production does not claim to hold the ultimate understanding of the 700-page novel, but just wants have as much fun with it as possible, without taking itself very seriously. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"801\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2020\/02\/2-1.jpg?fit=660%2C441&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2020\/02\/2-1.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2020\/02\/2-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2020\/02\/2-1.jpg?resize=768%2C513&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2020\/02\/2-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C684&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether or not this is a recipe for a great adaptation is a completely different, less fun conversation with likely no verdict whatsoever. The only conclusion I can get to is that it\u2019s definitely a recipe for roaring laughter. The four actors were a delight to watch, having the time of their lives on stage, flawlessly switching between characters with quick changes of costume, and even when the changes weren\u2019t as smooth as they should have been they acted so naturally that I doubted whether or not the mistake was actually planned. Stand-out characters were Madame De Winter, Cardinal Richelieu, and D\u2019Artagnan, played with fantastic consistency throughout, but every single change of costume brought a fresh round of raucous laughter, whether caused by an oblivious Lord Buckingham or a vindictive nun. The sheer amount of events happening and the relations between all the characters were confusing, but instead of running away from this, Le Navet Bete flipped it on its head, aware of just how much was happening and having the characters explain things they did not understand themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Audience\nengagement was a huge positive part of the show. The fourth wall, removed from\nthe very beginning of the play, never returned, with the actors thriving when\nimprovising reactions to the audience\u2019s own. The funniest moment of the show\nrequired the audience to throw plush ducks at Madame De Winter as she was\nproving her hunting skills to Lord Buckingham. The willingness of the actors to\nimprovise and the natural manner in which they did it really elevated the show.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2020\/02\/1.jpg?fit=660%2C440&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2094\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2020\/02\/1.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2020\/02\/1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2020\/02\/1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/149\/2020\/02\/1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nproduction value was also outstanding, from a simple yet versatile set, to the\nsimilarly versatile costumes. The stage was a constant whirlwind of moving\nprops, flying costumes, and musketeers riding bikes instead of horses \u2013 and\nwhilst it may have seemed quite natural, it required calculated coordination\nand elaborate choreography that did not go unnoticed. However, it was the sound\nthat truly enhanced the comedic effect. For instance, if the shotgun sounds\ndidn\u2019t play exactly as Madame De Winter was \u2018shooting\u2019 the plush ducks, the\neffect of that scene would have been significantly diminished. The sterling\nsynchronization between sound effects and the onstage acting deserved a\nstanding ovation in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nstheatres.co.uk\/whats-on\/the-three-musketeers-a-comedy-adventure\"><strong>The Three Musketeers: A Comedy Adventure<\/strong><\/a><\/em> was a witty, self-aware show, unafraid of tapping into the childish side of all the audience members \u2013 children or adults \u2013 of questioning its own script, or of pushing the limits of what onstage performance is: if you get a line wrong, acknowledge it and do it again, it might make the whole scene funnier that it was meant to be intentionally! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Le Navet Bete provided a complete escape from the worries of everyday life \u2013 I laughed more than I have in a long time, and isn\u2019t that what we all need? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Three Muskateers: A Comedy Adventure<\/em> ran at<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nstheatres.co.uk\/city\/how-to-find-nst-city\"> <strong>NST City<\/strong><\/a> from Tuesday 18 &#8211; Saturday 22 February 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For more details of NST&#8217;s literature loaded<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nstheatres.co.uk\/\"><strong>spring season<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; featuring <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nstheatres.co.uk\/whats-on\/pride-and-prejudice-sort-of\"><strong>Pride and Prejudice<\/strong><\/a><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nstheatres.co.uk\/whats-on\/pride-and-prejudice-sort-of\"><strong> <\/strong><\/a><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nstheatres.co.uk\/whats-on\/pride-and-prejudice-sort-of\"><strong>(sort of)<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nstheatres.co.uk\/whats-on\/the-war-of-the-worlds\"><strong>War of the World<\/strong>s<\/a><\/em>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nstheatres.co.uk\/whats-on\/wuthering-heights\"><strong>Wuthering Heights<\/strong><\/a><\/em> and more &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nstheatres.co.uk\/\"><strong>click here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Thea Hartman I didn\u2019t know what to expect heading into the NST for Le Navet Bete\u2019s production of Dumas\u2019 classic The Three Musketeers. Subtitled \u2018A Comedy Adventure\u2019 and with a poster with some rather striking facial expressions and a BMX, I wasn\u2019t sure whether I was about to watch the actual musketeers being heroic &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/2020\/02\/24\/review-the-three-muskateers-at-nst-city\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Review: The Three Musketeers at NST City<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2268,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[120,124,266,194,20,14,9],"tags":[88,306],"class_list":["post-2090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arts-ambassadors","category-city","category-nuffield-southampton-theatres","category-performance","category-review","category-student","category-theatre","tag-university-of-southampton","tag-wuthering-heights"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc9CSZ-xI","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2268"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2090"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2090\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2106,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2090\/revisions\/2106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/arts-at-unisouth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}