Escurial by Michel de Ghelderode, trans & directed by Philip Graham. North Pole Theatre, Greenwich, Sept 1996

Brute Farce was set up in the late summer of 1996 and Escurial was their debut production. Ghelderode's "drama in one act" had never been performed in English and the translation was by Brute Farce co-founder Philip Graham.

The play is set in a crumbling castle in medieval Spain where a crippled King plays deadly mindgames with his jester, Folial, who was the lover of the dead Queen.

The King-cuckold and the malicious fool play out the final scenes of their intense personal drama as the power shifts between them in an expressionistic and disturbing slide towards both tragedy and farce.

The cast was John McCraw and Rob Crouch as the King and the fool respectively and Mark Rawlinson in a cameo as the monk. All three actors had worked with each other and Philip on numerous occasions at Sheffield University where they all studied.

A Sheffield connection also provided the soundtrack in the shape of Chris Graf, who along with Matt Clark (usually to be found performing with their band Spencer) wrote and performed the music for the show.

Escurial was performed at the North Pole Theatre in Greenwich, London (which is sadly no longer there) from 17-28 September 1996.

Rob Crouch as Folial
& John McCraw as the King