No Pay? No Way! – Royal Exchange Theatre

There is an extremely fine line between success and failure when producing a farce. When done badly, it can quickly degenerate into a series of mistimed entrances and exits with improbable scenarios and absurd coincidences that leave the audience confused and bored. Fortunately, Director Bryony Shanahan knows exactly what she is doing, and with ‘No Pay? No Way!’ has produced a sparklingly funny version of this 1974 play by veteran political writers Dario Fo and Franca Rame.

Antonia (Samantha Power) has just nipped to the local supermarket to pick up the weekly shopping, where she finds herself in the middle of a riotous protest following the doubling in price of food and groceries. She takes advantage of the situation to ‘liberate’ some groceries and persuades her friend Margherita (Katherine Pearce) to assist her in hiding the loot at home. This initial act of larceny leads to increasingly absurd scenarios involving miracle pregnancy, coffins and bizarrely located olives over the two-hour run time, before the darkly comic resolution.

Although Fo and Rame’s work is the primary source, it is the adaptation by Australian writer Marieke Hardy which makes this production both hilarious and bitingly satirical. Whilst still retaining much of the 1970’s original form it felt intensely modern, with the obvious parallels to our current austerity finding favour with the press night audience. Every reference to vulture capitalism and smashing the system received loud approval with particular local derision reserved for Trans Pennine Express, the Glazer family (MUFC) and Jacob Rees Mogg!

The original Italian polemicism was never too far from the surface but was incorporated into the piece seamlessly so that the audience were never lectured at. There were periods when the piece sagged, most notably during an anti-Church diatribe which felt confused and misplaced in its updated setting and a judicious edit may have been appropriate. However, this was rescued when Hardy concluded the uproarious piece with a forceful denunciation of ‘the system’ from the most unlikely character, closely followed by a rousingly defiant song that had the entire theatre singing and clapping in unison to a stirring crescendo.

Designer Cecile Tremolieres clearly spent a lot of her formative years playing Nintendo, with the set and costume design drawing clear inspiration from Super Mario Brothers. The vivid orange pipes, green slide and blue flooring that formed the set were complimented by the yellow boiler suits worn by Giovanni (Roger Morlidge) and Luigi (Gurjeet Singh). This surreal backdrop created a world where the absurdity of the plot development felt at home and was juxtaposed against the traditional operatic soundtrack, simultaneously jarring and energising. The unique open space of the Royal Exchange does not readily lend itself to the quick exits and hidden conversations usually associated with classic farce but Shanahan and Tremolieres were inventive in overcoming these obstacles and the sight of a policeman descending two floors on a slide in s theatre is one that will definitely stay with me!

The physical demands of a farce production are also not to be underestimated and the entire cast will certainly burn a few calories over the course of the next month. The pace of the production gradually builds with increasingly complex choreography of characters made to look seamlessly natural. There is a meta nature to the work that allows characters to ‘break the fourth wall’ interacting with the audience and this is beautifully achieved. Indeed, so much so that a technical glitch causing a brief pause in the second act almost felt like part of the production and added even more to the surreal feeling of the evening.

Both Singh and Morlidge are excellent in portraying the uncomprehending husbands of the piece, constantly wrong footed, misunderstanding and duped by their wives, they are the foil on which the plot turns. Anwar Russell provides a memorable turn in myriad roles throughout the evening, demonstrating range most notably as both the rigid police Inspector and his revolutionary Sergeant, both hilariously realised in very differing styles.

However, this is a play with women at its core and both Power and Pearce provide the heart and soul of the production with powerful performances. Ironically, Power embodies the frustration of a powerless woman beaten down by the system, striving to simply survive whilst retaining her dignity and humour. Pearce is initially the comic foil to this anger – dressed in an overstuffed coat and heavy glasses – she presents as a figure of fun only displaying her full fury and hopeless anger at the conclusion.

We have all become increasingly upset and alienated by the state of our nation over the last decade or so. Protest takes many forms, and it is pleasing to see theatre utilising its power to demonstrate our dissent in this humorous and damning form. This show gives us permission to be angry, wrapped in a very funny format.

Overall, a superbly executed farce that packs a political punch.

Playing until 10th June, https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/whats-on-and-tickets/no-pay-no-way

Reviewer: Paul Wilcox

Reviewed: 17th May 2023

North West End UK Rating: