The Three Musketeers
by Willis Hall

Christchurch Cathedral Gardens

Summer. What does the word bring to mind? Sun, punts, cricket…and garden plays. Ah, yes. Oxford garden plays. It is fair to say Oxford has its fair share of pretentious, badly acted garden plays. This, fortunately, is not one of them. The play throws out any notion of complexity almost immediately: it is a romp. Taking Willis Hall's fast-moving, tongue-in-cheek adaptation of Dumas' novel as a starting point, the play is a simple exercise in pleasing an audience. ("You know - for kids!")
The story is well known to all and sundry. D'Artagnan, the poor, young son of a pig farmer jets off to Paris with the aim of becoming one of King Louis XIII's musketeers. He is befriended by three of the most esteemed members of that force - Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Together, they foil the evil plans of Cardinal Richelieu and Milady de Winter, who wish to discredit Louis' wife Anne and expose her love for the Duke of Buckingham. And the day is saved.
Jeremy Williams, as D'Artagnan, is a swaggering joy to behold and hams it up commendably. The Three Musketeers also manage to hold up their end well - Mike Taylor as Athos in particular and Miranda Kaufmann has an excellent turn as the gaoler in the Bastille. But even the less good performances don't matter. The good time the cast are evidently having transmits itself over to the audience.
The play makes good use of the gorgeous surroundings of Christchurch Cathedral gardens. The childish backdrop and sparseness of the props are all part of the fun - Willis Hall's adaptation is, ultimately, all about getting the audience involved in the fun. In this context, even mistakes can become part of the fun. Once one drops any hopes about being challenged, a thoroughly enjoyable time is to be had by all. Turn up. Switch your brain off. You'll love it.

Munzar Sharif 30.05.02