Standing Ovation Award

'Highly original play (dystopian and absurdist), a subversive retelling of Tennyson's ballad, set in the future in a period of advanced climate change and instead of a woman being objectified, it is a man. Excellent production values with an outstanding set (STEPHEN STEPHENSON), supportive sound and lighting.   Stephen Stephenson's set/props were made completely from recycled/repurposed materials)'

The Stage

Stylish but solid reworking of Tennyson’s poem as a piece of neuro-queer theatre.

This new play, written and performed by London-based actor Gareth Watkins takes it lead from Alfred Tennyson’s 19th-century lyrical ballad The Lady of Shalott. For those unfamiliar with the source work, the Lady is locked in a tower by a river that leads to Camelot. Cursed if she gazes on the real world, she weaves all day, viewing the outside reflected in a mirror. She catches sight of Lancelot in the mirror and turns fatefully to look on the real world, invoking the curse.

 

For Watkin’s sharply observed neuro-queer reworking, Martuni is holed up in a tower in a land succumbing to climate change. Battles rage in the distance, which Martuni only observes through a viewfinder, but his day is taken up exercising, masturbating and weaving. The monotony is broken with regular video calls from would-be lovers, who for various reasons he refuses to meet.

 

Themes of objectification still permeate Watkins’ script, but there’s an absurdist humour too, that cuts through the strangeness of the situation as Martuni fields would-be suitors. At its core, The Gentleman of Shalott is a comment on the insular life men lead, as they are drawn deeper and deeper into the blinkered hyper-reality of social media. Awareness doesn’t necessarily equal understanding and Martuni panics if his routine is disrupted. It is only when he engages with a man unable to see that his resolve crumbles and his fate is sealed. Tightly directed by Pete Gomes, with a fascinating dystopian set design from Stephen Stephenson, Watkins proves a provocative and insightful voice on the queer theatre scene

Fringe Review

Gareth Watkins, writer and performer of The Gentleman of Shallot, “began developing experimental improvised and devised theatre, which led him to study with the MA Theatre Lab at RADA. He has since written two plays: Boy for Life, on the lasting effects of gay conversion ‘therapy’ and The Gentleman of Shalott, his radical reimagining of Tennyson’s poem The Lady of Shalott as a neuro-queer dystopia. He recently published A to B: Conversations on Common Ground.”

Pete Gomes, who directed the piece, “was born in London to Goan and Burmese parents, and is based in London at Studio Voltaire. He is a transdisciplinary artist working across media art, moving image, sound, music, performance, installation & 2-d work. His work has consistently operated between extensive collaborative and solo performance practices, alongside the ongoing utilisation and staging of cameras as an integrated and essential component of each performance work. “

Paul Levy bumped into the both of them as they were flyering as the wind whipped up near George Square Gardens. They talked about the piece, billed in the fringe programme thus: “In his tower on an island in the river, Martuni weaves, masturbates and keeps fit. His only distraction from the monotony – the horny suitors on his dating app: Reaper longs to be a dog at the foot of Martuni’s bed; Page wants to rescue Martuni in a hot air balloon and save him from the war, the drought and environmental collapse; Shepherd invites himself round for sandwiches and trifle. Will Martuni be lured outside? Or will the curse of his social anxiety and narcissism keep him imprisoned forever?”

ED Fringe

A queer take on Tennyson's Lady of Shallott, this show echoes many of the poem's themes, entwining innocence and sexual fantasy with modern dating apps. The gentleman interacts with several potential hookups while maintaining his doomed routine in his tower. Props including a weaving loom are well managed by a powerful performer. A mournful reflection on modern isolation and society.

The Real Chrisparkle

They say if you’re going to do a cover version of a song, make it different and make it your own, don’t just copy the original. Here’s a cover version of The Lady of Shalott – not just the famous painting, but also the poem by Tennyson; she spins in her tower and will be cursed if she look down to Camelot. Therefore she can only look at the shadows in her mirror, which reveals characters such as the shepherd and the page. But when Sir Lancelot rides by the temptation is too great and she takes to a boat which will float her down to Camelot – and her ultimate downfall. Gareth Watkins has turned this story on its head and performs as The Gentleman of Shalott, also trapped in a tower, weaving on his loom, connected to the outside world by his periscope that acts as the mirror, and the sex-line link which he uses sometimes to rebuff and sometimes to open up to his gentlemen callers. Mr Watkins has a terrific stage presence and a powerful but warm voice which he uses to great effect in his various associations with those other gentlemen. There is something of a coup-de-theatre in the final scene which I won’t spoil for you but remains in perfect keeping with Tennyson’s original. A very creative and inventive treatment of a much-loved 19th century poem brought bang up to date. Perplexing yet invigorating, a rewarding theatrical achievement!

London Pub Theatres

by Heather Jeffery

I Confess to having read the romantics (many years ago), but my enduring memory of THE LADY OF SHALOTT (by Alfred Tennyson) is the Pre-Raphaelite painting by John William Waterhouse (you know the one).

 

So, in the interests of returning an erudite review, I read the poem again. The elements of the lady being in a tower in Camelot, and weaving by occupation, do remain, along with many nods to the ballad. I would recommend re-reading it before coming to see the show as there are so many references which add a tongue in cheek quality.  In this subversive retelling, the show is set in a period of advanced climate change and instead of a woman being objectified, it is a man. It is rather more cynical and honest, leaving behind the sentimentalised view of the original.

 

Beauty does remain in so many ways: the set; the hopeless desires of the protagonist and the remembrance of the wonders of nature.  My expectation of this queer retelling of the poem, that it would be camp and self-indulgent, were not well founded. It turns out that, for me at least, the overriding impression is one of the absurdities of man, a nightmare, every bit as cruel as the lady’s fate.   In this show the focus is on man’s inability to cope with or make sufficient changes to their lifestyle whilst being partially responsible for the destruction of their own habitat.

 

In this one-man show, written and performed by Gareth Watkins, we meet his character Martuni in the tower (more reminiscent of a submarine). He’s masturbating (unfulfilled) and taking a piss. This is how his day begins and over a series of repetitions we find that his day is monotonous. Weaving a single strand on the loom, or speaking with an imagined room service, or looking out at the synthetic river in case there is anything to see.    However, he has not lost hope. He has communication with the world outside, and he’s on a dating app, trying to find the perfect match.

 

If this doesn’t sound very promising, then a few things are really striking. It is a show which has a sense of humour, with laugh out loud moments, albeit with a slightly bitter taste to them. It is also very poignant, showing the gap between Martuni’s human desires and the actuality of his situation. 

 

Will his rose-tinted memories ever be fulfilled when in the outside world  society is collapsing, and health is deteriorating?    He appears to be looking for perfection but the people he encounters on the app (by voice over) don’t excite him: Reaper, wants to be a dog at the foot of his bed; Page, constantly warns him about the dangers outside, and Shepherd is blind and according to Martuni, he’s ugly.  All of them want him to come outside and when Martuni finally spots his ‘perfect match’, he makes a move away from his solitude and boredom. 

 

Much praise to Gareth Watkins and the director Pete Gomes, for their excellent pacing, drawing out the internal struggle and keeping it real.   The show also benefits from a wonderfully shabby chic set by Stephen Stephenson, so well used during the show. With so much to admire in the production, it would be unfair to ignore sound and the all-important cues which were spot on. Also, lighting which had its moments in the sun, and assisted to generate interest in a show which was so full of detail. All the creatives seeming to be working as a single body.

There Ought to be Clowns

Broadway Baby 

by Carrie Goode

 b

Set in a secluded tower, this play is a queer adaptation of Alfred Tennyson’s The Lady of Shalott, a poem detailing the life of said Lady, who is locked away, spending her days weaving tapestries of the outside world, never able to venture out herself. In The Gentleman of Shalott, Martuni (Gareth Watkins), is also locked away in a tower. However, via the dating apps he frequently uses, he encounters a number of men with a desire to lure him out.

Watkins' writing is clever and sharp, and his performance is bold

The staging consists of a bed, a loom, with which he weaves his own tapestries, a periscope that serves as his only visual connection to the outside world and a monitor displaying his dating apps, amongst other things. The small stage of the Hope Theatre may seem cluttered, yet with Pete Gomes’ direction, Watkins moves his tall frame around effortlessly, weaving himself back and forth rhythmically to show the repetition of Martuni’s life. His daily activities shift between weaving, exercising, masturbating, and so on. The only source of disruption is the dating app, where he entertains the fantasies of the men he connects with, although he longs for a meaningful connection - to find real love. 

Martuni is played with a skittish, anxious manner, which counteracts his obscure, lustful conversations superbly; despite his desire for connection, he shows a distaste to anyone who doesn’t reflect specifically what he is looking for. The sound gives an atmospheric, almost mechanical edge to the loneliness of his life, in a room devoid of nature, everything feels manmade and yet he is the only man there. 

Watkins' writing is clever and sharp, and his performance is bold; he is not afraid to sit in the quiet of the stage. Those moments of quiet, being expertly punctured by the occasional sigh or well delivered declaration of monotony, work well with the meatier parts of the text, which are both poetic and silly. The play is funny, particularly Martuni’s almost petulant responses to the men who try to capture his attention - those men being Reaper, Page and Sheperd, who all have their own way of trying to interest an intrigued but isolated Martuni. 

Despite the story being localised within his tower, the play also speaks to wider issues of climate change, as the world appears to be collapsing around him. Martuni, however seems interested only in his own search for companionship. 

It made me think a lot about what this could reflect about our world. we exist in the most interconnected version of life there has ever been and yet you argue that social media and dating apps have made us more individualistic. Do we sincerely care about connection with others, or are we busy weaving our own tapestries, inspired only by how we singularly see the world, too scared to venture out?

Pink Prince Theatre

by Estelle Luck

Having studied English literature at uni I was both curious and excited to see this modern and queer interpretation of Lord Alfred Tennyson’s The Lady of Shalott at The Hope Theatre in Islington, and it didn’t disappoint.

 

In lots of ways, the play held onto the overall themes of the original poem - particularly the concepts of isolation and entrapment. But it did so cleverly in a way that commented on society today, particularly our use of social media and the way we connect with people. 

 

Like the The Lady of Shalott, Martuni, the main character played by Gareth Watkins, only has one indirect way of looking at the outside world - through a periscope. And his communication with potential suitors Page, Shepherd, Reaper and Alvar happens through a large machine with a lever and screen. This, we soon gather, is meant to resemble conversations via dating apps. By using such a large and cumbersome machine, I felt that the play was highlighting just how much space our phones, social media and virtual communication take up in our lives - especially when it comes to finding potential love interests. The evolution in Martuni’s character also highlights this. He becomes more and more consumed by the device as the play goes on, dancing excitedly when it starts to ring and ignoring parts of his daily routine that he once described as his ‘primary purpose.’ 

 

When entering the theatre, I was immediately struck by the crowded nature of the set. On the stage was a bed, the periscope, a weaving machine surrounded by tapestry and the communication device. I feel this was intentional, as the lack of space for Martuni to walk around helped add to the sense of entrapment and claustrophobia. It was a clever move on the part of the writers and producers as it made me feel even more connected to the protagonist and empathetic towards his situation. 

 

Another aspect that helped connect the audience with Martuni was the exploration of his sexual desires. Martuni pleasures himself on more than one occasion during the play and does so confidently and unapologetically. It gave a sense that the audience was in a really authentically intimate space with Martuni. 

 

Even though the play dealt with quite heavy themes such as isolation, humour cropped up throughout. In one moment, Martuni gets carried away conjuring up deep and vivid dreams about the world outside his tower. And in another, he’s being asked about mortgage and crime rates and whether he owns his own property. I found myself laughing out loud at various points in the play, which only made it even more enjoyable! 

 

One thing I thought was particularly interesting was the description of the outside world according to the suitors. It was described as dangerous and like a war zone, which is quite different to the idyllic scenery mentioned in the original poem. This made me feel a little hopeless come the end of the play’s 75-minute run when Martuni is set to venture out into the world. If the descriptions by the suitors is anything to go by, Martuni won’t be free to live his fantasy romances. Instead, he’ll be entering a hostile and dangerous war zone with food shortages and droughts. I took this to be a poignant comment on the many worrying aspects of the world we live in today. 

 

Having said that, the play ends on an immensely satisfying high. We’re left in the dark about what will happen to Martuni when he steps outside confinement. Will he fall foul to the same fate as the Lady of Shalott? Or will he be free to turn his dreams of falling in love into a reality? 

This play was one of the best pieces of theatre I’ve seen in a while and a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a Thursday evening. It is showing until 17th February, and tickets can be purchased on The Hope Theatre’s website