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Doctor Faustus 2002 - Natural Nylon TC

'This presented the play as a version of Groundhog Day, opening with a group of in academic dress announcing the necessity of performing Faustus's fall and closing with Faustus caught in the cycle of re-enacting this fall for ever; hell here is a kind of Samuel Beckett play. The catch in the ending was that is is only then that the audience saw clearly that what Mephistophilis had said was true: that is washe who instigated Faustus's fall by turning the pages of the book so that he looked at what Mephistophilis wanted him to see. [...]

Mephistophilis was the undoubted star of this show and Richard McCabe was brilliant - seductive, contemptuous, knowing and full of hatred. [...] By comparison Jude Law's Faustus was well out of his depth, a youthful, rather silly academic who was no match for the devil. [...] [C]ommedia style dominated much of the production and the seven deadly sins became very physical theatre. [...]

The traverse stage was separated from the two sections of the audience by tips of rubbish. Everything used during the action and then discarded was chucked into this tip area, giving a fine sense of Faustus, the throwaway king. [S]ome eclectic costuming [...] had everyone in Renaissance costume but with Faustus, Mephistophilis and Wagner moving into modern dress as the action progressed.'

Elizabeth Schafer, RORD 42 (2003), 111-2

Photos: 

Jude Law as Doctor Faustus

from www.arenapal.com  

Reviews:

'Natural Law for Doctor Faustus', BBC News, 22 March 2002

Michael Billington, 'Doctor Faustus', The Guardian, 20 March 2002

Philip Fisher, 'Dr Fautus', The British Theatre Guide, 2002

Sheridan Morley, 'Theater/London: In this Dr Faustus ennui is triumphant', International Herald Tribune, 17 April 2002

Lizzie Loveridge, 'Doctor Faustus', CurtainUp London, May 2002