Dame Berwick – an all-round good egg.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and broke beyond repair…it doesn’t seem much of a tale to fit a play around, but actor, writer, director and Pantomime dame extraordinaire, Berwick Kaler, manages to do just that with a brilliance that no-one else could ever achieve. The pantomime, ‘Humpty Dumpty’, showing until January 30, at York Theatre Royal is a triumph of fun, fairy tale and foolisnness.
Until the early 1970’s, Berwick had been more used to playing the villain in pantomimes produced by Bernard Delfont, when his performance of Andrew Aguecheek, in a York production of ‘Twelth Night’, convinced the then Artistic Director that he would be ideal as Dame at the Theatre Royal. Berwick was not so sure at first, but his intrinsic understanding of how pantomime works meant that he established himself, gradually, as writer and director as well as actor, amassing around him a loyal cast that understands and values the precepts he adheres to. Over thirty years later, he’s still there and has legions of fans who wouldn’t dream of missing a show. Many go back several times throughout the run and hundreds pilgrimage across continents to take their annual seat. The last night performance carries unexpected features that means tickets are as sought after as Mother Goose’s teeth.
The cast principals, Martin Barrass, David Leonard, Suzy Cooper, Julie Anna Castro and Vincent Gray all share his zeal for traditional entertainment. There is no room for jokes that cannot be appreciated by everyone in the audience and the only, occasional, television references are light-hearted, leg-pullings concerning parts that the actors have pursued during the year. David Leonard’s villainous laugh is legendary and he is certainly one of the most agile baddies to grace the stage, whilst Martin Barrass foregoes all dignity to return year-after-year as the long-suffering recipient of the dame’s slapstick.
Aside from his other talents, Berwick is a scholar, who researches theatre history and scours the archives for routines and staging ploys of yesteryear. One of his heroes is Dan Leno, the Victorian music hall comedian and pantomime dame. Leno spoke often of the bob’s worth of red ink, referring to the liquid that fuelled his imagination to produce some of the most extravagant and imaginative theatrical effects of his time. It would appear that Berwick has his own un-ending supply of scarlet fluid. Whilst the Theatre Royal budget may never run to herds of elephants, the talents of Phil Daniels, Charles Cusick Smith, Richard G. Jones, and many others, ensure that it produces stunning sets, fantastic costume creations and a plethora of visual and verbal gags to drool over and feast upon.
Originally from Sunderland, Berwick Kaler has made Yorkshire his home and has been embraced and accepted here as a true tyke. He is a Freeman of the City of York and has an honorary doctorate from the University. Mulberry House China have immortalised him in a candle-snuffer bearing his effigy. Tin badges adorned with his caricature fly off the merchandise stall. Local artist, Margaret Clarkson, captured his essence in a limited-edition print. A petition appealing for his contribution to Yorkshire life to be recognised nationally, contains pages of signatures, ‘though it has, as yet, failed to secure an honour for this estimable man.
Berwick Kaler has proved himself to be no Humpty Dumpty but an all-round good egg. He may take a few falls in the duties of being the best dame in the business, but he’s far from cracked, let alone broken, and I, along with thousands of others, hope that he will continue to entertain the audiences at York Theatre Royal for many years to come.
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Thank you very much for your post on the York Theatre Royal’s 2009-10 pantomime production of ‘Humpty-Dumpty’. I enjoyed reading it immensely. After searching the net and finding some people’s blogs which are, quite frankly, not worth the ‘Cyber’ paper they’re written on, to find such an informative, well constructed piece of writing was most certainly a breath of fresh air! I, in actual fact, am also a great fan of Berwick Kaler’s work as the Dame, and have seen the production in question. I not only agree wholeheartedly with what you have written, but learnt a couple of things from it I didn’t know about the great man.
I wish you the very best of luck as your blog progresses, and best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year.
Thank you, John, for your very kind comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.