There's Only One Lord Byron

The poet Bryon was famously described by one of his countless paramours as ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’. One of the most renowned roués in history, he shagged his way through most of Europe, and his sexual appetites weren’t restricted by gender or, indeed, familial ties. He was also a politician, adventurer and soldier, leading a revolutionary organisation in Italy called the Carbonari and fighting in the Greek War of Independence for which the Greeks revere him as a hero. He died from a fever contracted whilst there.Or did he? Ba-Laylah Productions takes as its starting point in this clever piece the idea that he actually returned secretly to England and visited his favourite brothel. There he gets a series of courtesans to act out the most important mistresses he has been with over the years, presumably as some kind of therapy. It’s an interesting premise for a play, but in the end I was left wondering if it couldn’t have been developed into something a bit darker and more radical.The performances are all pretty good. As George Byron, Jonny Simms has a certain charm, though I hope its not too personal to say I found it hard to accept him as a man absolutely no one could resist. I mention this only to point out the importance of casting any play correctly. As each courtesan in turn comes to him they re-enact episodes from his life. This role-play often turns nasty if they fail to deliver, or say what he wants or misquote his poetry. There’s a new girl in the brothel, and in the end he asks for her, and it transpires she’s playing his daughter (you see what I mean about the piece potentially being very dark). There’s sadness and poignancy to this last encounter, and it seems Byron get’s some kind of resolution from it.This is a dull and lifeless space in which I have seen a few shows this year. It requires considerable skill from the director to make it work, and though Millie Bridie Townsend coaxes good performances form her cast, in the end the sheer logistics of the room with is two entrances through curtains and flat stage defeat her. It’s far too episodic, with simple blackouts in between scenes. I’d like to see Tara Isabella Burton’s script developed further and given bigger production values. The subject matter is a truly fascinating human being, and we only scratched the surface here.