Charles ii: Living Libido Loca

Thursday 7th August 17.30

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Now firstly, I must confess to a personal interest in seeing this. I’ve been a massive fan of the Merry Monarch since I was about 8 years old, so when I heard that his life was to receive the Horrible Histories treatment at the Fringe, it was a no-brainer to see it.

Brought to you by Old’N’Dead Productions, this is best described as an adult Horrible Histories on speed. The four-hander show sweeps us from the Interregnum under the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell (played terrifyingly by Finlay Allan), through the brief – very brief - Protectorship of his son Richard, to the flamboyant and outrageous reign of Charles, when enjoyment was the name of the game after two decades of Civil War and repression. Written and directed by Beth Eltringham, who is also tech designer, costumier and choreographer. She also performs most of the female roles, including a prim Puritan, the lascivious Lady Castlemaine and the delightfully exuberant actress, Nell Gwyn, leading the audience in a 17th century version of The Good Old Days, joining in a song much as Nell did as one of the first female actresses on the public stage.

There is a level of cross-dressing amongst the cast, most of it very effective – Finlay Allan is a hoot as actress and temporary Royal Mistress Moll Davis. Colby Scott plays the hapless Richard Cromwell well and is incredibly sympathetic as Charles’s long-suffering Queen, Catherine of Braganza. Her strongest and most effective moment is when, after several hysterical meltdowns, she sits at the front of the stage and tells the audience how she feels about loving and being married to a man who cannot control his libido. Amid the knockabout comedy, she gives us a sudden glimpse of the real strength of character of this tiny Portuguese Infanta (who became a much-respected Regent when she returned to her own country in her widowhood).

Beth and Colby give the strongest performances. The men are very funny, but sometimes way too over the top. There is perhaps a little too much facial gurning and wild gesticulation and Charles is so outrageous that I felt my personal Great Fire for him, rapidly going out. But I cannot fault the accuracy of the narrative and applauded the sympathetic way in which the Queen was portrayed, the little details like her extreme reaction to meeting the King’s mistress, and ultimately the bond that developed between her and her impossible husband. The King’s proactive action to prevent the spread of the Great Fire is well portrayed (with Beth appearing as Samuel Pepys, to whom we owe our detailed knowledge of that disaster and Colby as a swirling punky dervish of a Great Fire).

It would have been good to see a more rounded portrayal of Charles’s positive actions as King, but this is, after all, billed as a comedy musical, and in that, it does entertain. I must admit that, sometimes against my better judgement, I laughed. A lot. (TA)

Charles ii: Living Libido Loca is performing on 'odd numbered' days of the month until August 23rd at LAB at PBH's Free Fringe @ CC Blooms - details here