‘All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain’ — Created and Performed by Patrick Page. Directed by Simon Godwin. Presented by Arts Emerson at the Emerson Paramount Center through November 1.
By Shelley A. Sackett
The term “tour de force” (literally “feat of strength”) was coined to describe performances like Patrick Page’s in his solo production, All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain. An astounding accomplishment that goes beyond normal expectations, Page leads a journey through Shakespeare’s invention of the villain, embodying each role in bursts of shape-shifting magic that leaves the audience in awe.
From the moment the Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning actor appears on stage, it’s clear he is having the time of his life. This is a man who loves (and embodies) Shakespeare’s characters in a way not experienced since Bill Irwin’s On Beckett, presented by Arts Emerson in 2022. Page educates, ad libs, dissects and analyzes Shakespeare’s evolution as a playwright and inventor of the villain. But this is no ordinary lecture nor ordinary lecturer; this is a dream séance led by a gifted medium.
For just under 90 minutes (no intermission), Page’s prodigious vocal presence and dramatic range introduce us to the worst of the worst, including: Richard III (Richard III); Aaron the Moor (Titus Andronicus); Shylock (The Merchant of Venice); Claudius (Hamlet); Angelo (Measure for Measure); Iago and Othello (Othello); Edmund (King Lear); MacBeth and Lady MacBeth (Macbeth); Malvolio (Twelfth Night), and Prospero (The Tempest).
Slipping into role after role (after meaty, entertaining introductions that weave substance, context, humor and, above all, humanity), he traces the Bard’s development as a trailblazing playwright who plumbed the complex psychological depths of evildoers. Along the way are delightful trivial tidbits. There are, for example, actual curses in MacBeth; Shakespeare was fascinated by and delighted in his investigation of evil. The first mention of Shakespeare as a playwright was a bad review by the critic Robert Green. When preparing to play Iago, Page read “The Sociopath Next Door: The Ruthless Versus the Rest of Us,” a 2005 bestselling psychology book by Harvard psychologist Dr. Martha Stout, Ph.D.
Page’s performance is buffeted by crisp direction (Simon Godwin), a simple but effective set (Arnulfo Maldonado), and spot on costumes (Emily Rebholz), lighting (Stacey DeRosier) and sound (Darron L. West).
If this all sounds too good to be true, try your best to catch one of the few remaining performances before this magical mystery tour vanishes into thin air. I guarantee that, if anything, you’ll think these praises are too low.
Highly Recommended.
For more information, visit https://artsemerson.org/events/
