“What if?” Those two words can be the start of a creative idea, an exploration of a hypothesis that, with enough imagination, can be developed into something great. “What if there were a theme park full of dinosaurs?” gave us Jurassic Park, “What if Liam Neeson could beat up anything and come away unscathed?” gave us Taken, and “What if news stories were sensationalised lies?” gave us The Daily Mail.
Napoleon Disrobed, based on Simon Ley’s The Death of Napoleon, starts with “What if Napoleon didn’t die in exile?” In this comical concoction of fake history, Napoleon swaps identities with a sailor called Eugene. Incognito, Napoleon travels across Europe and finds himself in many a mishap along the way.
There is no better way to describe this show than marvellous nonsense. From its University Challenge opening, to the various clashes of modern and period conventions, there is no attempt to achieve naturalism: something that Told By An Idiot wear proudly on their sleeves. Their approach of embracing the artifice of theatre allows them to build a truly surreal and unique piece that is simultaneously intelligent and stupid.
The imaginative set design made what was essentially a glorified wooden pallet an incredibly versatile environment. It’s a ship, it’s a pub, it’s a sloping hotel: the possibilities were seemingly endless. Accompanied by a variety of exciting props, there was never a dull moment.
While the comedy is certainly the focus of the piece, the strong performances from both Ayesha Antoine and Paul Hunter made the more serious moments of the piece blend well with the surrounding silliness. Every one of Antoine’s seemingly endless characterisations were clearly defined, proving her versatility as an actor. Hunter’s Napoleon was flawed yet lovable, and combined with impeccable comic timing, made for an exciting lead to follow.
With a strong story, incredible performances, and creative playfulness on a shoestring, Napoleon Disrobed is not to be missed. It is one of the best things I’ve seen at The REP and sets the bar for other comedic work. Given that Told By An Idiot have been creating this kind of theatre for twenty-five years, they have established a particular style that I long to see more of. Whatever they do next, I will definitely be booking a ticket, and I implore that you do too. ★★★★★ Jeremy Ulster 16th March 2018
