Thursday, 14th November 2024 at York Theatre Royal (Studio)
⭐️⭐️⭐️
You’ve heard of Dick Turpin, but have you heard of the infamous John Swiift? No? John Godber’s The Highwayman imagines a chancer and a thief in the style of the greats that we do know, and gives us an eventful few hours to watch his life spiral and decline as he seeks to scrape a living – by any means necessary. So, we head to 1769 York; population is booming but quality of life is greatly divided, and men like John face big decisions as job opportunities on the straight and narrow are at a devastating low…
Godber writes and directs, with his usual staples firmly in place: rhyming segues, biting social commentary and witty punchlines with a distinctly northern flavour. The writing is a little patchy, particularly in the rhyming segues which seem to purposefully offer a dissonance which feels clunky – but when it hits the mark, it does so with real sparkle, particularly in the second act when fresh characters are richer and the gags more generous.
Emilio Encinoso-Gil is Swiift himself, all swagger and charm and earnestness as he woos the love of his life, Molly-May – played with real spirit and sparkiness by Matheea Ellerby. The pair make for an engaging coupling, but the fiery nature of their relationship (victim to the challenges of the time of course) means that their scenes often descend into irate domestics which cull the comedy a little too much. That’s not to say that they don’t deliver laughs, but their well-played stand-offs lead us into dramatic territory a little too often to keep the magic going.
Godber’s writing is at its best in his comfort zone: clever multi-rolling, relying on actors’ voice and craft to convince audiences in the blink of an eye that a new character has emerged from thin air. Dylan Allcock takes the reins for any toff on script, and does so with great comic timing, but it’s Jo Patmore who takes the crown for versatility here, finding the most laughs of the piece with an airhead musician and a pushy old crone.
Songs from Ruby Macintosh are performed well by the cast, and offer some yesteryear ambience and propulsion to the piece, but it does feel at times like they are more for padding than purpose. Graham Kirk’s set allows the cast a rural backdrop, four boxes and a noose to work with – and it’s always impressive to see just how much a cast can conjure in an almost blank space…
Overall highlights include a very nicely delivered cliff-hanger at the close of Act 1 (brilliantly delivered by Encinoso-Gil and his mischievous twinkle), the cleverness of the close-shaves snagged by this highwayman, and the characteristic sharpness of Godber’s cutting commentary when the fictional world begins to comment on our flawed reality.
So, The Highwayman: it has flashes of real spark and great moments, and when it’s less impressive, it’s at least still engaging. It’s probably worth a punt if you’re a Godber fan!
The Highwayman plays York Theatre Royal until November 16th 2024 – currently sold out, but you can check availability here.
Always Time For Theatre 
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