The Fair Maid of the West – The Swan Theatre, Stratford upon Avon

Writer: Thomas Heywood

Adaptor and Director: Isobel McArthur

Purists expecting to see a faithful production of Heywood’s play will be sorely disappointed. Anyone who wants to be royally entertained by a script packed with humour and memorable characters and a production that is energetic and engaging will leave Stratford uplifted and delighted.

It is the story of Liz who is forced to flee from the pub she calls home and her journey to build a new life. In doing so, she makes a new family from those also in need of saving for a range of reasons. Together they face adversity and tragedy but always have one another. In the wrong hands, this could be worthy, but thankfully it is a proper laugh-out-loud comedy with plenty of heart.

What Isobel McArthur has done is to take the bare bones of the original and employ a number of her trademark techniques to deliver a new script that combines the spirit of the Jacobean text with a sassy and knowingly modern sensibility. None of this feels like a gimmick. It is a cohesive and coherent adaptation that will hopefully be produced for years to come.

Music is one of the keys to the success of the production. The score is cleverly constructed from twentieth-century pop hits arranged by Michael John McCarthy and directed by Tarek Merchant. And in context, every one of their choices adds to the narrative and emotion of each moment in the story. The music is performed entirely by the ensemble cast of ten. Their skill and talent combine to make this very much a play with music but also one that pays homage to the British tradition of Ballad Operas such as The Beggar’s Opera which used contemporary song as a central element in the storytelling.

The cast is helmed by the engaging central performance of Amber James as Liz. Her natural warmth, wit and resilience combine to deliver an interpretation that feels so right that it is hard to imagine it being done any other way.

James is very ably supported by the rest of the ensemble. Not only do they have to work incredibly hard to keep up with the physical and technical demands of the script (not least the dazzling number of costume and wig changes), they also have to sustain the energy and pace of the dialogue. All of this is done with aplomb. There are a number of memorable moments that will stay with audiences long after the curtain has fallen including a star turn from Tom Babbage as the aptly named Windbag and a deft yet enigmatic performance by Richard Katz as the Pub Regular. In truth, this is a cast that makes up a true ensemble where their skills come together with trust and understanding to produce something greater than the sum of the parts.

There is a style of humour that feels uniquely British yet is adored all over the world – and that is Monty Python. McArthur’s work on this as both writer and director feels very much part of that tradition of anarchic, irreverent comic genius but one with a more contemporary understanding of gender politics. The fact that Philip Labey as Spencer has very much the air of a young Michael Palin only reinforces the connection.

This is, perhaps, the strongest production from the Royal Shakespeare Company for some time. It is a joyous piece of theatre that leaves the audience wanting more. It may not be Heywood’s The Fair Maid of the West but it is all the better for being McArthur’s The Fair Maid of the West – a riotously entertaining romp.

Runs until 14 January 2024