The lesser told Christmas story about Arthur, Camelot and the knights of the round table – oh, and a giant green knight (not our favourite green ogre…) – is showing this December at Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, and it’s a jolly, festive treat. Last night, Wednesday 10th December, marked the opening night of the run, and we visited to check it out.
What can I expect?
A modern re-telling of the middle English story Gawain and the Green Knight, we are introduced to Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere and Gawain not as knights of the round table, but as office staff at a cyber security firm ‘Camelot Corp’, set slap in the middle of their office Christmas party. Gawain, ridiculed for being the most boring employee, surprises everyone by challenging an uninvited office party guest – the giant green knight – and miraculously survives to tell the tale. However, there is a price to pay, and Gawain subsequently sets out on a quest he cannot refuse.
We’re then taken back in time to a bar in middle England where Gawain’s journey commences, meeting the casts’ familiar faces as they multi-role into an array of new magical characters; an ancient forest witch, a charismatic buffoon lord of a manor, and a maiden dressed in pink, who can’t keep her hands off Gawain. As the quest continues, Gawain struggles to stay true to himself, as he encounters temptations and challenges that sway him on the way.
Credit: Park Theatre
What did we think?
Directed by Kelly Ann Stewart, written by Felix Grainger and Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson, who also star as Gawain and Lance respectively (amongst other characters), the performers’ energetic, action-packed, often tongue-in-cheek performance and mile-a-minute pace make for a wildly funny show.
Farcical, sometimes slapstick, and as chocka-block with imagination and originality as it is with hilarious quips and riffs, this punchy and pacey Christmas play is a perfect way to spend a festive evening in London.
We recommend getting to the theatre early to enjoy a festive drink at the bar upstairs before heading in to see the show.
Credit: Park Theatre
How do I get there?
Gawain and the Green Knight is showing until the 24th December.
Park Theatre is a quick 3 minute walk from Finsbury Park Station, at 13 Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP