translated by Simon Armitage
seen at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on 14 July 2015
The so-called 'alliterative Morte Arthure' is a poem composed in about 1400 in alliterative verse. A modern translation by Simon Armitage has been prepared for dramatic recitation by the poet assisted by David Birrell and Polly Frame, with musician Paul Johnson, directed by Nick Bagnall.
The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse proves an ideal location to hear the recitation of a mediaeval English poem, just as it did a few weeks ago for 'Beowulf'. Simon Armitage presents his own modern alliterative version of the original poem, with musical accompaniment (mainly percussive, with some pipes) and two actors to vary the pace and characterisation. These are essential, as his own reading style is not dramatic, but rather sing-song - effective in a narrator with this style of verse, but made all the more so with the contrasts provided by the others. David Birrell mostly gives Arthur's speeches, while Polly Frame provides some narrative, and also speeches by the Emperor Lucius and other characters.
