Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Patrick Page suavely explores Shakespeare’s villains in ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE

• By drediman
• February 15, 2021
• No Comments

Last night, I viewed All the Devils Are Here, Patrick Page’s one-man show exploring, as the work’s subtitle succinctly puts it, “How Shakespeare Invented the Villain”. Written and performed by Mr. Page, the show is a digital offering from Washington DC’s Shakespeare Theatre Company, one of the country’s premiere classical theater companies. Mr. Page has practically made a career out of depicting bad guys onstage, especially in splashy Broadway musicals. Indeed, before his delicious turn as Hades in the Tony-winning Hadestown, he memorably originated the roles Green Goblin and Scar in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and Disney’s The Lion King, respectively. To boot, he’s also a top-notch classical actor, as evidenced by his muscular performance a few years ago in the title role of Coriolanus (also for STC). Suffice to say, Mr. Page is more than qualified for this particular endeavor.

In structure and content, the show calls to mind Simon Callow’s solo show Being Shakespeare. Like that earlier work, Mr. Page arranges the show chronologically and provides biographical and societal context (wisely, the work sensitively addresses the time’s pervasive racial prejudices) to the evolution of the Bard’s writing. Although not a comprehensive survey of Shakespeare’s roster of villains – distinctly missing are Measure for Measure‘s Angelo and King Lear‘s Edmund – All the Devils Are Here is a compelling and often unnerving entrée into a collection of disturbed psyches. Mr. Page begins with the two-dimensionally wicked Aaron (Titus Andronicus) and Richard III before studying more nuanced creations like Claudius, Falstaff, and Shylock. The work concludes with Mr. Page diving deep into the treacherous minds of Iago and Macbeth, two of Shakespeare’s most infamous and psychologically unsettling villains.

In performance, Mr. Page is nothing short of magnificent, smoothly and persuasively stepping into role after role without losing momentum nor lack of technical facility. Although the veteran stage actor is best known for his work in musical theater, his enthusiasm for and knowledge of Shakespeare and his plays are evident throughout the show’s efficient but enlightening 80-minute running time. And even though the in-character excerpts by no means encapsulate the full complexities of Shakespeare’s creations (impossible given the relatively brief time allotted), Mr. Page – with his velvety voice and seductive stage presence – terrifically whets our appetite by suavely illuminating the depth and, yes, intrinsic humanity of these iconic villains with the utmost transparency. Additionally, thanks to some dynamic filming, I was able to enjoy the excellent performance with maximum immersion and intimacy.

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ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE
Theater, Play / On-Demand
Shakespeare Theatre Company
1 hour, 20 minutes (without an intermission)
Through July 28