A modern parable at its most sexy and uncomfortable.

Teia says: A modern parable at its most sexy and uncomfortable.

When a play casts former (?!) Game of Thrones heartthrob Kit Harrington as it's title character, there are bound to be a few groupies scattered throughout the audience. I prepared myself to weather the oncoming storm of titters, oohs and aahs (there were very obvious Kit fans seated to the left of me) but little did I know that I would soon be joining in the strange swoonfest that was the Jamie Lloyd Theatre Company's Doctor Faustus.

This outrageous new production stitches together Christopher Marlowe's original acts 1 and 2, with a new middle section composed by Colin Teevan, allowing the splicing of a revamped and modern take on the tragedy of a man who flies too close to the proverbial sun. Originally a scholar that reached the limits of his earthly studies and dabbled in the dark arts to become a conjurer whose tricks wowed the gentry of Europe, Harington's Doctor Faustus sells his soul and becomes a rockstar magician whose showmanship and magical prowess eclipses that of David Blaine and dare I say it, David Copperfield himself. Of course, that's easy to do when you're in collusion with the devil and your powers are actually real...

I wasn't completely convinced that the different sections quite worked and I felt the Early Modern English text felt slightly incongruent with its present-day surroundings, but whatever misgivings I initially held were drowned out by the visceral and bloody onstage proceedings. Warning, this play may not be for you if you feel queasy at the mere mention of blood and/or black demon vomit. I was horrified and enraptured, unable to tear my eyes away from the rapidly sinking ship that was Faustus and the ghoulish chorus of devils that sowed their seeds of destruction around him.

And as Faustus sank to the depths of his mortal despair and came to the realization that parlour tricks may not actually be worth eternal damnation in hell, increasingly more opportunities arose for Kit Harrington to disrobe and display what I can only describe as a breathtaking grand canyon-esque physique of abs, lats, quads and glutes - yep, there was bare bottom. I may have inhaled audibly a few times.

I found myself at a crossroads while writing this review, for I deeply wanted to love this play for all its gory glory and OTT theatrics, but I felt it was weighed down by its own shock factor, so much so that the sight of blood and its ilk became somewhat gimmicky. Nevertheless, I applaud the company's cajones, an evening of blood, guts and dark humour never goes amiss with me.

Reviewed by Teia Freegona on April 19th, 2016

Find me on Twitter: @_londontheatre_

Kitty says: Come for the bottom, stay for the strange genius on stage.

It's certainly true that Jamie Lloyd's sharp new staging of Marlowe's devilish opus is utterly shocking, as Teia says above, but where she felt things got a little too GCSE drama, I'm still left unable to understand if I enjoyed myself or not.

Harington displays acting chops far more worthy than we've seen on a certain fantasy show, for which I was really glad, his tortured Faustus of the first act is masterfully pathetic, giving way to riotous hubris that really gave him the space to become a worthy leading man against Jenna Russell's incredible Mephistopheles, servant of Lucifer himself (a delightfully off-putting Forbes Masson.)

For all the flash-bangs and naked bodies, it's the writing that must hold steady through, with Marlowe's original play interspersed with Colin Teevan's modern middle act that brings us down to earth with a bump as Faustus himself ascends the heights of fame. This intermission bridges the gap wonderfully, enthralling the audience and at the same time bringing those whose Ye Olde English is rusty up to scratch with the action.

As with all of Lloyd's productions, the design is the glue that completes the show, with simple sets that contort as Faustus's own grasp on reality bends beyond all help, and costuming that highlights this well, as if from the off Faustus is just a fantastical drug addict, stuck on the trip of a lifetime.

Though not the first thing I'd choose to see again, there is a lot of merit in this production, the acting is wonderful, the story, timeless (and of course one more shout out to that bottom) I would recommend this to those who want to experience a thrilling live theatre experience without checking your brains at the box office, it's meaty, mad and particularly dangerous to sit in the front row. You have been warned.

Reviewed by Kitty McCarron on April 19th, 2016

Find me on Twitter @Thisiskittymac

Doctor Faustus is at the Duke of York's Theatre until June 4th, 2016

View our show pages for more information about Doctor Faustus, Duke of Yorks Theatre.