Reviews

Unlike the company's usual plays, The Anatomist by Tony Ramsey has no connection to East Anglia whatsoever. It's set in Padua in Italy and focuses on the work of Andreas Vesalius (1514-64) and the opposition he faced from the religious and political establishment.

The play is billed as a cross between Laurel & Hardy and Burke & Hare, but it never quite reaches the high physical comedy of the former and, apart from a scene of blood spurting out from a live subject on the slab, it never becomes a complete gore-fest. Certainly it's nowhere near as bloody as a production of Titus Andronicus I saw at the Bury St.Edmunds Theatre Royal a couple of years ago.

Glov and Arial

The comic elements are provided by two travellers Arial (William Gregory) and Glov (Timothy Speyer) who stumble into Padua. One senses that the loathsome, potty-mouthed Glov is going to get his at some point...

The Belgian anatomist Vesalius (Tom Marshall) is driven to writing a new study of the human body and he's not too bothered where his corpses come from. He enlists a Dutch painter Van Calcar (Nadia Morgan) to help him.

Despite the fact that Van Calcar is clearly a woman with a painted-on moustache, Vesalius believes her to be a man. This provides comic moments given that he's supposed to be an expert in studying the human form, but it reminded me more of the Blackadder II episode where 'Bob' appears!

The man deciding Vesalius fate is the Podesta - the mayoral figure in Padua. William Gregory plays him (as well as the role of Arial) and clearly takes his line from Kenneth Williams' portrayal of Julius Caeser in Carry On Cleo.

Somewhat bizarrely, Vesalius employs an alcoholic Glaswegian woman (Veronica Hempsey) as his housemaid/assistant. As foul-mouthed as Glov, she's obviously seen a lot of life and philosophises in the manner of Rab C.Nesbit. Glov eventually finds out just how ill she is by forcing himself on her. Not surprisingly, she doesn't object.

Emilia gets mugged

The travellers also pick up a lone female Emilia (Grainne Gillis) who's obssessed with visiting a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary. We find out that she's never going to have sex again and is pregnant, but we never really find out why or how. It's never really clear why she's in the play apart from to provide a love-interest for Arial who decides to settle in Padua - thus incurring Glov's wrath.

It's well acted, if a little overly camp in places, and the jokes are funny. However, there doesn't actually seem to be that much conflict between the anatomist and the authorities at the end of the day, and as a result it lacks a bit of oomph or tension. The role of grave-robbers is only touched on in the opening scenes, so we don't know how low Vesalius has ever really sunk in the past in his pursuit of science.

The backdrop is something to behold - a white sheet with a vertical gash in it splattered in blood. Vesalius also has a large wobbly liver as a prop for his final scenes (pig or human we ask ourselves?) so the play probably isn't for vegetarians or the squeamish.

Some of the toplessness and swearing seems a bit gratuitous, but overall the play is amusing, educational and reminds one that working with cadavers was never something that science could take for granted.

The play continues at Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham and then moves on to Loddon, Maldon, Highgate in London, Coggeshall and Bentwaters. Ring the Eastern Angles box office on 01473 211498 or visit the website using the link on the right >>>