‘Billy Budd’, Southwark Playhouse

How much goodness can humanity take?

As a species, we do admire those who display virtuous qualities but only up to a point. When we encounter those individuals whose unblemished simplicity and un-cynical kindness reaches such an intensity, we become confused and suspicious.

How can these people not be scarred by the ravages that life brings and still remain optimistic about man’s innate goodness? Like Prince Myhskin in Doestoevsky’s The Idiot and Simon in The Lord of The Flies, Billy Budd is a simple soul who has got to the age of 20 whilst still retaining an undimmed faith in his fellow man. Pressed into naval duty, he eases into life on board the HMS Indomitable.

While his commitment to his duty and his amiability endear him to his captain and his fellow sailors, he perplexes his supervising officer, Claggart. He is a man all too happy to wield the lash, proud of the fear that he inspires in his charges and reveling in their concomitant hatred. Yet when confronted with Budd’s unrelenting humanity, he is bewildered. Because of Budd’s firm belief that Claggart retains some residual humanity, he softens and attempts to bring Budd onto his side. But when Budd spurns his offer due to his loyalty to his shipmates, Claggart seeks to get rid of him, trumping up charges of mutiny to a scarcely believing captain.

The setting of the play is well suited to the atmosphere needed for the production. A tight, claustrophobic space with smart set design makes for an immersive experience.

Devised by the cast, the dialogue is snappy and leaden with a fug of testosterone. The cast are superbly led by Charlie Archer who excels as the eponymous figure. Jittery, eager to please and yet all underpinned by a swell of untamed benevolence, Archer endears the audience to his worldview as well as bewildering his superiors with his kindness. He is well supported by Iain Batchelor as Jenkins who seeks to protect Budd from the ramifications of his own kindness, and Christopher Hammond who nimbly mixes both Northern and Irish accents in his two roles.

However, whilst the play was involving and highly engaging due to the excellence of the acting, the production was compromised by the performance of Gerrard McArthur as Claggart. Although decent as the tormented Master at Arms, he allows his performance to slip into something of an arch pantomime villain, jutting his jaw and stiffening himself as he paws over this poor, simple lad. It makes the motivation of Claggart to damn Budd for his rejection seem to be purely sexual, rather than striking at a deeper, more troubling source.

Satisfied to have cut himself off from any kind of noble instinct, Claggart’s anger at Budd comes from this young man’s unwavering belief that there is still a heart waiting to beat once again. As such, it gives the production a superficial sheen when there is much more on offer to be explored.

Billy Budd runs until August 10 at:

The Southwark Playhouse
77-85 Newington Causeway
Southwark
SE1 6BD

Tel: 020 7407 0234

Image by Jane Hobson