Measure for Measure
by William Shakespeare

was staged in November/ December 2002.

It was directed by Keith Harle, who said of the play:

" Measure for Measure , one of Shakespeare's later plays written in 1604 is a study of the power of corruption and the corruption of power, interweaving the themes of religion, sexuality, politics and morality in the institutions associated with maintaining social order in Vienna, such as the court, convent, prison and public street.

This original production includes two additional scenes imported from Pericles and adapted to develop themes and characters associated with the underworld and moral decline."

Credits
Designed and directed by: Keith Harle
Stage management: Sally Rose Pethybridge, Frances Rayner
Costumes designed by: Vivi Silveira
Costumes made by: Vivi Silveira, Joan Foster Silva, Arlete
      Pereira, Sally Rose Pethybridge, Celia Bochmann
Lighting design: Keith Esher Davies
Lighting: Mário Galvão
Sound: Neil Munro
Make-up: Nuno Elias
Hair: Piedade
Masks: Simon Larkin
Photography: Elsa Mota Gomes, Vanda Foster da Silva
Poster and programme Cover: Marta Torrão
Front of house: Joan Foster Silva
Programme: Francesca Rayner, Ana Catarina Mendes, Virgilio
      Oliveira

Cast
Vincentio: Keith Esher Davies
Angelo: Grant Shepherd
Escalus: John Elliott
A Lady Justice: Ana Catarina Mendes
Servants to Angelo: Ana Catarinma Mendes, Nuno Miguel Lopes
Claudio: Simão Cayatte
Lucio: Jonathan Weightman
Juliet: Ester Marie Orenersen
Mariana: Patricia Delgado
Provost: Vuk Simic
Elbow: James Cuggy
Officers: Jon Kvaal Pedersen, David Doyle, Nuno Miguel Lopes
Isabella: Rhyana Blakeley
Francisca: Viktoria McMillan
Thomas: Steve Chandler
Mistress Overdone: Adrienne Thomas
Pompey: Kevin Bowskill
Froth: Jon Kvaal Pedersen
Kate Keepdown: Viktoria McMillan
Doll Drophand: Claudia Pereira
Young Woman: Ester Marie Orenersen
Young Girl: Patricia Delgado
Abhorson: David JP Doyle
Barnadine: Nuno Miguel Lopes

(Posted January 2003 in The APN and The Portugal News)

'Measure for Measure' -  A review

'Measure for Measure' has often been considered a problem play rather than a play about problems. This is probably due to the juxtaposition of comedy bordering on farce and seriousness touching on tragedy. It is also a play that seems to encompass an almost surreal indifference to conventional dramatical structure.

The Lisbon Players' production, directed by Keith Harle, skilfully wove the disparate parts together to create, in my opinion, a masterful piece of theatre.

Set in Vienna, the plot gets underway with the Duke (Keith Esher Davis) handing over the reins of government to Lord Angelo (Grant Shepard), a young man of supposedly strict morals.The Duke does this under the pretence of going to Poland on unspecified business, whilst in reality, suspecting that all is not well within the city, he disguises himself as a friar in order to observe what goes on.

The Duke has no sooner "gone" than Lord Angelo sentences a young man Claudio (Simao Cayette) to death for getting Juliette (Ester Marie Orenersen) with child out of wedlock, enforcing an ancient law against such activity. Angelo is determined for one reason or another to make an example of Claudio.

Claudio's virginal sister Isabella (Rhyana Blakeley) is about to enter a convent and goes to Lord Angelo to plead for her brother's life, encouraged by her brother's friend Lucio, (a fine comic performance by Jonathan Weightman) .Her passionate pleas have a startling effect on Angelo..the incitement of lust ! Despite his so-called moral uprightness, Angelo suggests to Isabel that her brother could be saved if she sleeps with him. The Duke, under his new guise, hears of Angelo's hypocrisy and plots with Isabella and the Provost (her brother's jailer, VukSimic) to put a stop to Angelo's evil plan.

The story unfolds with a host of characters too numerous to mention (although special mention should be made of Kevin Bowskill's acutely funny Pompey and David Doyle's darkly comic hangman).

One of the dilemas of the play is whether we see Isabella's refusal to give up her virginity as a virtue or not and whether we see Claudio's begging of her to do so, as cowardly, or an understandably desperate attempt to escape his predicament.The acting in this scene requires great delicacy if the audience's emotions are to fall on the 'correct' side. In this case, I feel it was done perfectly. One not only felt for Isabella, but sympathised with Claudio – a difficult balancing act indeed!

Unlike many of his plays, Shakespeare left the outcome in a tortuous balance – neither a happy nor an unhappy ending. Everyone gets their just deserts..measure for measure..but what about Isabella ? Does she marry the Duke or not..that is the question left on everyone's lips.

This production was a brave triumph of powerful dramatic performances over a sometimes mystifying script….not only entertaining but thought-provokimg with its obvious relevance to present day society, full of irony, cruelty, humour and tenderness. A Tour de Force !!

(Martin Devlin)