UK Theatre Network

The Caucasian Chalk Circle at Richmond Theatre on Tuesday 20^th October 2009

Published by: Tremayne (Potter)

‘Set in an imaginary “Caucasus”, the work has dominating male and female leads.  One is Grusha, a maid in the royal palace.  When the governor of Grusinia is killed by revolutionaries, and the royal son and heir, Michael, is abandoned by his luxury-loving mother, Grusha gathers the royal child in her arms and flees with it as her own’.  *(445:2002)

‘In The Caucasian Chalk Circle there is a scene in which Grusha has to walk across a small, unreliable bridge above a deep chasm.  This strikes me as a good metaphor for translating a play.  As he treads a narrow walkway, the translator looks down on one side and sees an arid landscape of fidelity, adored by academics but not much visited by ordinary folks.  On the other side, he sees below him the floodlit outlines of an egocentric ‘version’, bright, accessible and designed to draw attention to the translator rather than the play.’

(Alistair Beaton)

In the opening scene the musicians arrive.  The Singer (James Clyde) introduces us to story of The Caucasian Chalk Circle.

We instantly recognise Adjutant (Steven Meo), who also plays the Monk and Shawa, from the part he played in BBC3 series Grownups.

Simon (Peter Bankole) proposes to Grusha (Matti Houghton) with the words “I sincerely ask for your hand in marriage.”  She accepts.

He adds, “when the war is over, I’ll be back.”

Grusha bursts in to song on his departure, singing “I will wait for you under the green elm.”  The music could be described as Irish Folk.

The Governor’s Wife (Josephine Butler) flees on hearing of her husband’s murder, leaving baby Michael behind.  Grusha convinces herself she will leave him on his own but finds herself discussing it with the Cook (Clare Perkins) : “he looks at me like a human being.” Her response back is : “then don’t look back at him!”

The Chorus, with their oh so powerful voices, start up singing again  to continue narrating  the story: “She went for a last look at the child.  Just for a moment before leaving.  A town filled with fear..  For many hours she sat beside the child..  Picked up the child and carried it away.  Like a thief she slipped away.”

Grusha begins to question her decision: “What did I take on when I took you on?”, after paying out 2 pesetas for a mere drop of milk.

They stumble across an Inn where The Innkeeper (Christian Patterson) says to her and two upper class ladies, one played by Josephine Butler, the other by Clare Perkins: “just be thankful you’re not being thrown into shallow graves like thousands of others."  Clare Perkin’s character on realizing Grusha is a servant reacts in a rather Catherine Tate caricature-type way, saying “This woman has snuck in here”, branding her as a thief, purely because of her status in society.

The Sergeant (Nicolas Asbury) says to the character played by Steven Meo : “I was watching you dickhead.  Don’t think you’re heading for a promotion.”  At which point Steven Meo bursts into song. I am pleasantly surprised by how sweet and pure his voice is, with a natural trill in it.

The Sergeant continues with his verbal abuse: “How am I meant to find the Governor’s little bastard when I’ve got you for company?!”, ‘little bastard’ could be seen as a biblical reference.

Grusha leaves the baby on Farmer’s doorstep. The Chorus sing: “Why so happy to be heading home?  Why so sad?  ..because I’m free and single”, after she has unburdened herself of the bundle.  But then, she finds herself within the clutches of The Soldier. 

The Sergeant tries to intimidate her saying: “How to the hills.  How do you fasten your stockings?  ..to put it in military terms, I’d like to get a child out of you!” And as the missing child is mentioned, she runs for the hills. 

“Quick, hide him!”, says Grusha as she makes her way inside the Farmer’s house. 

The Farmer’s Wife (Claire Perkins) asks her: “why did you abandon your baby?  That’s a sin!”

The Sergeant tackles Grusha: “Why did you run away from me? ..to be frank, I could imagine quite a lot of things”, he says pervertedly.

An impressive physical theatre combat scene takes place between The Farmer’s Wife, The Sergeant and Grusha, where Grusha hits The Sergeant over the head with a spade.

Grusha sings: “Since no-one wants to have you (referring to baby Michael).  In this hungry.  You’ll have to make do with me.”  They manage to make it across to the other side of a precarious bridge and on to Laverto’s (Grusha’s brother’s) place.

Laverto’s wife (Josephine Butler) is less than welcoming.

Winter draws near and the bundle, whose face is never revealed to us, is transformed into a wooden doll-like puppet with the most piercing blue eyes, ironically matching those of Grusha.

Laverto finds his sister a father ‘on paper’ in the shape of Jussup (Nicholas Asbury), who is meant to be close to drawing his last breath.  By being given an official stamp Grusha’s and Michael’s lives will be made easier.

Grusha is overcome with emotion on hearing the war is over and the soldiers,including Simon, are set to return from Iran.  The man she married is still alive!

Experimental theatre is not generally to my taste, with hard-hitting subjects being mixed in with puppetry. For example severed heads were quite obviously made out of cushion-type material but as the pace picked up in Act II I warmed to it.

 In Act II Grusha (Matti Houghton) and Simon (Peter Bankole) meet again at the stream.

Grusha says:“winter was a bit grim.  ..I can never go back.., I hit someone..”, referring to the Sergeant (Nicholas Asbury) whom she hit and left for dead.

Simon instinctively says: “Is the young lady saying the soldier is too late?  Bring me back the cross I gave you (a symbol of their commitment to each another).  Better still, throw it in the stream.”

The play is brought up to date with its references to the current situation in Iraq.  It is ultimately a play about Justice and when Azdak (James Clyde), who also plays the Singer, or rather, the narrator says: “they fought over arms..”, he is referring to George Bush Jnr. Azdak’s character is played like a Hugh Laurie in Blackadder as he spouts forth the words: “you should be hung, by the neck and so forth and so forth.”

Act I having gone at a much slower pace, we rely heavily on James Clyde to draw us from out of this hole.

We learn the child is now 2.

Simon has come round to Grusha’s situation and makes this clear when he says: “I would like to swear to the woman that the child is mine.”

In Court Grusha fights to keep custody of Michael against his biological mother and says to the Judge (James Clyde): “I’ve brought him up to the best of my ability.  I’ve taught him the meaning of work.  Well, as much as I could, he’s still so small.”

The second Act, in my opinion, is of a much higher calibre, revelling in its Blackadder feel.

The Judge’s counter argument is: “I don’t see that the child’s yours.  ..don’t you want him to be rich?”, which he would be if he were allowed to live with his biological mother

The approach of the baby in puppet form is most thought-provoking and engaging  His movements are so fluid that the actors’ skills in puppetry are shown to be in fine tune.

Azdak insists he be placed inside a chalk circle and by the true strength of the mother she will be able to pull him out of it.

The first time the experiment is carried out, Michael’s biological mother is the one to make it possible but then the Judge overrules his decision and allows Grusha to bring up the child as her own.

And also, accidentally divorces her, supposedly, from her horrid husband, when it seems quite apparent that he wishes the very best for her and Simon, and for them to live happily ever after, without any extra baggage.

* Cited by John Fuegi in Brecht & co (Grove Press, 2002).