We round up the reviews for Mark Giesser’s adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s The Devil’s Disciple.
Broadway World: “Director Mark Giesser adapts it to a later war, perhaps in an attempt to modernise its themes and draw a parallel with contemporary topics of discussion. Rebellion and sacrifice unfold out against a field of racism, violence, and colonial dynamics, but none of it hits as hard as it should.”
All That Dazzles: “I enjoyed The Devil May Care. Its demonstration of complex family dynamics are, while contextually historic, very relevant and relatable today. Its handling and exposing of racial slurs, sexism, and general lack of equality of the time period is sensitively but impactfully done.”
The Stage: “Knotty adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s The Devil’s Disciple takes too long to find its voice.”
Everything Theatre: “The production is entertaining and swiftly moves through a range of complex issues with style and verve. It is a thought provoking and engaging evening that does not disappoint.”
London Pub Theatres.com: “When the jibes start bouncing, the production finds its flow. A satirical flourish at the end, too, is satisfying.”
The Reviews Hub: “There are some strong scenes between Callum Woodhouse’s Richard and Beth Burrows’ Judith in particular but once you get into the detail of this play, the devil is nowhere to be found.”
Theatre & Tonic: “If you enjoy witty retorts, comedic thrillers, fantastic actors and plots which will pique your interest in Philippine history, then this is the show for you.”
London Theatre1: “The play achieves some success in providing comedy value through the art of deception, and it is certain Americans rather than Filipinos who are shown to be gullible and lacking in thoroughness and precision. Majoring on relatively minor points meant it was difficult to maintain interest on occasion, and there were, frankly, some questionable American accents on stage. The story proceeds at a sufficiently steady pace but an overly positive ending – in a war zone, no less – comes across as a tad too contrived.”
Mind The Blog: “Another high point is Callum Woodhouse’s portrayal of Richard; he’s incredibly charismatic, and delivers his lines with conviction – some of the jokes work solely thanks to his performance. Beth Burrows comes into her own when Judith gets the chance to put her law education into practice, making the largely quite irritating court martial scene more bearable, as a female character is finally allowed to shine.”
The Devil May Care continues to play at the Southwark Playhouse until the 1st February.