THE HANGOVER REPORT – Red Bull and Fiasco’s lively revival of THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE pushes a tad too hard for laughs

The company of Red Bull Theater and Fiasco’s co-production of “The Knight of the Burning Pestle” at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (photo by Carol Rosegg).

I recently had a chance to catch up with Red Bull and Fiasco’s co-production of The Knight of the Burning Pestle at Off-Broadway’s Lucille Lortelle Theatre. Penned by Francis Beaumont way back in 1607, the play has the distinction of being one of the first examples of theatrical satire. More specifically, the work pioneered the meta-theatrical shattering of the fourth wall in its depiction of the Don Quixote-like adventures of a hapless knight.

Both Red Bull and Fiasco have strong track records of mounting high octane interpretations of plays from the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, many of them rarely produced and unknown to contemporary theatergoers. In this revival of The Knight of the Burning Pestle, Fiasco’s madcap, “let’s put on a show” aesthetic was particularly apparent. Despite the play’s reputation for being a trailblazer, much of it now registers as somewhat labored, run-of-the-mill fare.

The production at the historic Lortel Theatre has been co-directed by Noah Brody and Emily Young, whose staging is lively if a bit strained. Collectively, the performances amount to a jovial ensemble effort, even if at times they push a tad too hard to get the laughs. A standout amongst the cast is Ben Steinfeld, a longtime Fiasco company member whose portrayal of a happy-go-lucky character who just can’t keep himself from not singing is absolutely pitch perfect.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE
Off-Broadway, Play
Red Bull Theater and Fiasco at the Lucille Lortel Theatre
2 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
Through May 13

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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