They often say that true classical theatre holds a mirror to life, but what about the people who pioneer the techniques and honour the legacy of those who first created them?
Oh, for a time machine to take us back to Ye Olde Stratford-on-Avon to see how William Shakespeare directed his classics back in the day, or in more contemporary legacies Sir Peter Hall or Olivier, Gielgud and Richardson directing and starring at the National Theatre.
Well, the spirit of old style vaudeville, which unleashed the likes of classic Hollywood legends Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy and The Marx Brothers in film and later Lucille Ball on television, coupled with the style of Italian Masked Comedy in the form of Commedia dell’Arte, which influenced such work as James Corden’s blistering West End and Broadway run in ONE MAN, TWO GUV’NORS, is alive and well in the form of husband-and-wife veterans Barry and Joan Grantham, who have continued to teach the principles of their work in classes and workshops.
The brand new documentary BARRY & JOAN takes us right inside the rehearsal room, where we see how the specifics of physical movement and intricacies of stage are incorporated to enhance actors and student performances, as well as giving us a compact and enlightening history of where Commedia came from and its’ effect, influence and legacy on all manner of stage and screen performers over the years.
We also get a sense of the bond that Barry and Joan have had and continue to have as both performers and a partnership in love, with testaments and tributes from those who have both learned from and worked with them.
As somebody who personally took a class with Barry Grantham as a mature acting student back in the late 1990s, I can vouch for the intellectual approach that he and his partner take to the work and techniques required to fulfil your potential with this aspect of theatre. It is also a great reminder of some of those attributes that can enhance any actor or performer on both stage and screen.
Although the documentary has the feel of a BBC special, there is enough here to absorb and learn, with one or two laughs from the principal subjects in reserve.
BARRY & JOAN screens in limited release at twenty-five Picturehouse Cinemas across the UK as part of their ‘Discover’ strand on 21st, 22nd and 23rd June 2022.
Details here:
https://www.picturehouses.com/movie-details/000/HO00011821/barry-joan/0000000007?cinema=0
