#RSS Feed for Theatre articles - Telegraph.co.uk [p?c1=2&c2=6035736&cv=2.0&cj=1] Accessibility links * Skip to article * Skip to navigation [telegraph_print_190.gif] Telegraph.co.uk ___________________ Submit Search - enhanced by OpenText Sunday 17 January 2016 * Home * Video * News * World * Sport * Finance * Comment * Culture * Travel * Life * Women * Fashion * Luxury * Tech * Cars * Film * TV * Film * TV and Radio * Books * Music * Comedy * Art * Theatre * Photography * Dance * Opera * Hay Festival * Glyndebourne * Drama * Telegraph Box Office * Stage Video * Theatre Trailers Advertisement 1. Home» 2. Culture» 3. Theatre Ubu Roi: an unforgiving satire on manners old and modern Almost 120 years after its notorious Parisian premiere, Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi is still an important piece of theatre, says Dominic Cavendish Cheek by Jowl's Ubu Roi at the Silk Street Theatre Cheek by Jowl's Ubu Roi at the Silk Street Theatre By Dominic Cavendish 7:00AM BST 20 Jul 2015 Follow Comments Comments “School-boy humour” tends to get a bad press. But where would theatre be without it? As a golden opportunity arises to watch Cheek by Jowl’s acclaimed production of Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi from the comfort of your computer screen – seize it! – it feels only right to bow and scrape a bit before Jarry’s seminal act of juvenile disrespect. On the 10th December 1896, in Paris, this five-act comedy in which a mad-cap Macbeth-like couple called Ma and Pa Ubu gain, then lose, the Polish throne in a frenzy of stupidity, venality and treachery, caused a right old stink. A riot, albeit one part-instigated by its young author – who wanted as much booing as cheering – greeted its cavalier disregard for bourgeois niceties and naturalistic conventions, beginning with what is now one of the most notorious opening lines in modern drama: “Merdre”, or as the Methuen-published translation playfully puts it: “Pschitt!” • Can Dostoevsky be funny? “After us the savage god,” WB Yeats, who was in the audience, wrote that night, as if he’d witnessed the dawn of a new era. It’s a matter beyond dispute that this one work – the basis of which was an 1888 sketch penned for marionettes, and domestic consumption, by the then adolescent Jarry – opened artistic flood-gates even if, in its own terms, it was something of a cul-de-sac (the further Ubu plays he wrote up to his death in 1907 added to the overall corpus but had little of the same impact). Jarry’s influence on the continent – on surrealism, futurism, Dadaism, and the post-war “theatre of the Absurd” too – is widely acknowledged. Picasso was a big admirer. And on this side of the Channel, do we get NF Simpson or the Goons without him? I wonder. [Ubu_2119310b.jpg] ^Simon Stephens's 2012 reimagining of Ubu in The Trial of Ubu (Photo: Alastair Muir) The scale of the work’s legacy can undo its bequest of rebellious insouciance however – inspiring reverence when the template it laid down was to kick against the rules. “Ubu” also has the power to enervate and in the wrong hands can become insufferable. Charles Spencer, reviewing The Trial of Ubu, a 2012 bid by Simon Stephens to marry Jarry with modern-day concerns about war crimes, railed: “His work has always struck me as being juvenile, tiresome and lamentably unfunny.” • Watch interviews with John Simm and Mark Gatiss The virtue of this Cheek by Jowl production, performed in French, is that it confines the body of the drama to middle-class quarters the better to emphasise its qualities of seething mutiny. Instead of attempting the logistically impossible epic – Jarry’s dramatis personae include “the entire” Russian and Polish armies – we have six actors in search of the violent, original Oedipal spirit of the piece. Locating everything within an asphyxiating, sterile, luxury apartment, through which prowls the malcontent teenage son of a pair of smug dinner-party hosts (whom the boy’s vandalising imagination transforms into the rampantly horrible Ma and Pa Ubu), Donnellan lends it the air of an unforgiving satire on deranging modern manners. As I noted in my review, even if the scatological puerility is honoured (the lad takes delight in videoing a toilet-bowl) there’s darkness visible too: “While we’re invited to laugh at the faux carnage that’s unleashed with infantile invention – a food-mixer used to drill inside skulls, a gouged eyeball served up as a tasty morsel – the larkiness conveys a frisson because there are families whose members can flip in a way that’s far from hilarious.” It might sound “un peu de trop” to argue that Ubu Roi can still be a play for today, but by dusting it down, and reframing it thus, that’s exactly what it is. Cheek By Jowl's production of Ubu Roi will be streamed live via the Telegraph website at 7pm on Sunday 26th July. It is filmed in the Gerald W Lynch Theater as part of the 2015 Lincoln Center Festival. telegraph.co.uk [BoxOffice_540x147_3394074a.jpg] Top Galleries 40 optimistic quotes Culture Picture Galleries Cheer up: Martin Chilton picks the best quotes about feeling positive Comments Lumiere London 2016 1.8 London by Janet Echelman In pics: The UK's largest light festival Alan Rickman, in pictures Some of Alan Rickman's characters Film Life and career of Harry Potter actor who has died aged 69 Comments Oscars 2016: The nominations Oscars 2014: live Oscars In pics: The films and stars nominated for the 88th Academy Awards Comments 25 great closing lines in films Claude Rains, Paul Henreid, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman in 'Casablanca' . It had its premiere 70 years ago - on 26 November 1942 Film Casablanca actor Humphrey Bogart died on this day in 1957. Martin Chilton looks at some great final lines to movies Comments Friends: 30 best quotes TV As it's confirmed that a Friends reunion will air in February, we take a look at some classic moments Comments GoT: 30 characters we love to hate Game of Thrones: the best baddies Game of Thrones Game of Thrones is full of murderous scumbags. James Lachno and Amy Blumsom count down the best baddies Comments 30 great quotes about Ireland Clockwise: Samuel Beckett, Father Ted, Dara O'Briain, Sinead O'Connor, Oscar Wilde and Edna O'Brien and the famous Irish drink, Guinness Culture Picture Galleries Ireland is a small country but it has played a big role in the history of modern culture Comments David Bowie in pictures Music Martin Chilton looks back at the life and career of David Bowie in pictures Comments David Bowie tributes A fan takes a picture on her phone, of the tribute mural of British singer David Bowie in Brixton Music In pics: Fans around the world gather to remember iconic rock star Comments The Voice UK 2016: who's through so far? The Voice Take a look at the acts that have made it through the blind auditions stage so far Comments The 20 best fairytale films A detail from the first deluxe collection of Fables, Bill Willingham's long-running comic Film As Google doodle celebrates Charles Perrault, author of Little Red Riding Hood, Kat Brown picks the best Happy Ever Afters Comments Horse/Human: An Emotional Bond Horse Human- An Emotional Bond In pics: Photographer Bob Tabor's career photographing horses Comments StarMan: David Bowie at the V&A in pictures David Bowie exhibition at the V&A breaks ticket records Music David Bowie exhibition at the V&A Comments Culture stars who died in 2016 David Bowie Culture News We celebrate and remember the culture stars who have passed away in 2016 Comments Advertisement How we moderate telegraphuk Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. blog comments powered by Disqus Advertisement Culture Galleries Ricky Gervais as David Brent, star of The Office, and now film Life on the Road 100 funny jokes by 100 comedians Lady Chatterley's Lover 80 great quotes about love and romance Jeremy Corbyn The best British political insults The Simpsons, from left, Maggie, Marge, Lisa, Homer and Bart The Simpsons: 40 best quotations Groucho Marx in 1933 30 great one-liners The history of the world . . . from the Big Bang to Psy A history of the world in funny puns IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.face book.com%2Ftelegraphtheatre&width=300&height=258&colorscheme=light&show _faces=true&header=false&stream=false&show_border=true Culture Video» Nick Grimshaw defends Mason Noise Glasgow indie rockers The Fratellis - Jon, Barry and Mince Fratelli Listen: The Fratellis: Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied - album stream Michael Fabiano in Donizetti's Poliuto Glyndebourne presents: Poliuto Singer Kwabs Kwabs: exclusive acoustic performance Singer Lianne La Havas Lianne La Havas: Blood – album commentary part two Twin sisters Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas, better known as country music duo Ward Thomas Ward Thomas: Guest List – exclusive stream IFRAME: http://s.telegraph.co.uk/international/Barnebys/2014/Barnebys_UK_300x35 0.html More from the web Loading Advertisement Advertisement More from the web IFRAME: http://s.telegraph.co.uk/international/PrimeLocation/PrimeLocation_Intl .html Telegraph Boxoffice Popular Shows» 1. The Play That Goes Wrong 2. Shakespeare In Love 3. The Audience 4. Beyond Bollywood 5. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory More from the web Loading SPONSORED FEATURES The Business of Sport Series Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating after scoring a goal The social side of the beautiful game View Telegraph Travel Undiscovered Italy tour for eight days from £849 per person View Telegraph Dating Discover up to 1,000 matches with our intelligent two-way matching feature. Find love today! View Telegraph Wine from Waitrose Save £46.94 on six bottle case of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Offer ends Jan 26 View Back to top * HOME * Film * Film Reviews * Film News * Books * Book Reviews * Book Shop * Music * Music Reviews * Classical Music * Music Video * Music Festivals * Opera * Tickets * TV and Radio * TV Guide * Theatre * Theatre Reviews * Art * Dance * Dating * Culture News * Picture Galleries * Culture Video * Culture Critics * Photography * Crossword * Theatre Tickets * Contact us * Privacy and Cookies * Advertising * Fantasy Football * Announcements * Reader Prints * * Follow Us * Apps * Epaper * Expat * Promotions * Subscriber * Syndication © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2016 Terms and Conditions Today's News Archive Style Book Weather Forecast