The Syndicate at Malvern Theatres (From Hereford Times)

The Syndicate at Malvern Theatres

11:01am Friday 26th August 2011 in Reviews

ON paper The Syndicate, at Malvern Theatres until Saturday, promises much, not least a central performance from one of the UK’s leading actors, Sir Ian McKellen.

But in the event, it proved something of a disappointment, never quite catching fire and never persuading the audience to make an emotional investment in either Don Antonio Barracano or Rafiluccio Santaniello, the young man the Don attempts to steer away from a disastrous decision.

Opening with a cacophony of fireworks beyond the windows of the fin de siecle Barracano home on the Terzigno estate, the stage soon fills with silent business as white cloths billow into the air to be settled carefully on a pair of tables - but these are not the preparations for a family dinner. It’s very early in the morning, no one is dressed and the Don is still asleep. Through the doors a young man is carried, bleeding from a bullet wound in his leg. With clinical efficiency the doctor, a convincing performance by Michael Pennington of a man trapped by circumstances and veiled threats, treats the young man and sends him outside to sleep off the effects of the rudimentary surgery.

This vignette introduces us to the Barracano family and its paternalistic commitment to handling all the petty squabbles, disagreements and feuds of the people living on the Don’s patch. Don Antonio dedicates his life to steering others away from the mistakes he made - but benign though he is, there is no doubting that he is the puppet master. The happy family, it is clear, is happy as long as everyone does as Don Antonio wants - made clear by Cherie Lunghi’s turn as his wife, Donna Armida Barracano, her agreement to what he said almost accompanied by an exaggerated wink at the audience.

Though it started with fireworks, The Syndicate didn’t deliver any on stage - there was a strange detachment, with little tension much of the time, punctuated by bursts of activity and dramatic exchanges that caught the attention, only to lose it a moment later. Annie Hemingway’s outburst about what being Rafiluccio’s woman, Rita, really meant being one of those rare occasions when it felt as if the spark had been lit.

The Syndicate runs until Saturday, August 27, at Malvern Theatres. To book, call the box office on 01684 892277.