Review of ‘Round About Hogarth’: “Roughly sketched script struggles to paint a discernible narrative”

London’s Theatre At The Tabard presents this historical piece exploring the profound relationship between David Garrick and William Hogarth. Guillermo Nazara share his views on the show to let us know if it gets its storytelling down to a fine art.

“True art should generate a reaction and create controversy.” A strong-minded William Hogarth has been nagging an oblivious David Garrick for nearly an hour. A lot has happened. And yet, nothing has really occurred at all. That’s how frustrating Gareth Armstrong’s attempt to reunite both artists onstage comes across. They promised us a play. And a play we were given, only that a hundred better versions instantly pop into our minds after witnessing such a roughly edited work.

The two men bump into each other while observing a statue of William Shakespeare. Garrick admires it, while Hogarth has his reservations — to put it mildly. It’s an imminent clash. And an instant liking. The script adheres to the formula and delivers a classic meet-cute moment. The first of many. And the start of possibly the most important friendship in their lives, although certainly not the most memorable show audiences can experience.

This can hardly be called a story. Not in the conventional sense, at least. That doesn’t mean the piece is groundbreaking. The only boundary it pushes is our patience. For the most part, all that we are given are premises, but none of them is fleshed out into a proper plot. Numerous ideas materialise, but not a single one ever solidifies. And in the end, which is another aspect that we must discuss thoroughly later on, we stand at exactly the same point where we started.

All its themes are explored superficially. And overall, they are relegated to passing mention with no actual dramatic relevance. The most exasperating part of it is how promising they all are. They teem with poignancy and transcendence. And had they been handled with the necessary care, they would have grown into an engaging, resonant, and exceedingly thought-provoking recount.

Garrick fears for his legacy due to the ephemeral nature of his acting job. On a broader level, it’s a subject anyone can relate to due to our instinctive rejection of mortality. The same goes for Hogarth’s advocacy for social equality, which could have mirrored today’s injustices and made a lasting impact on the viewer. And the protagonists’ colliding opinions on art and its value could have delved into deeper philosophical reasoning. That’s wishful thinking in this case.

The script opts for underdeveloped scenes that exhibit next to no cohesion in terms of arc and emotional buildup. Their friendship tightens, but the conflict is loose, if not nonexistent. Apart from seeing them getting better acquainted, it’s virtually impossible to tell what the plot is.

There’s no journey, just a few sketches that barely hint at the finished picture, which is yet to be found. It has a frame, which incorrectly assumes the role of its canvas. Consequently, there’s nothing to look at inside its borders, as the contents are just a bunch of scribbles waiting to be shaped — the pacing is stagnant, the action is misleading, and the recount lacks nearly all the basic elements to function.

The conclusion hardly serves its purpose. As Garrick and Hogarth make their last visit to a London slum, they get into a big argument, which results in a lifelong estrangement. There’s no space to process it, though. As Hogarth storms out with a flamboyant flourish, Garrick looks at the audience and informs us, through his signature word buoyancy, that the piece is over. Some banter follows, and the curtain eventually comes down — figuratively.

It doesn’t make sense. It’s almost shocking the author hasn’t noticed. The need for a second and third act is so evident. After 75 minutes, the text has only provided us with exposition. And even that aspect is so vapid that there are no true redeeming features to spot in the writing.

The dialogue might be the sole exception, as long as we’re in a generous state of mind. Yet, albeit the flow is adequate and the language is historically appropriate, there’s a degree of artificiality that can’t be ignored — much like its generally unfunny jokes, although we very much hope we could.

Both actors exude rapport but not enough genuineness in their portrayals. Although they flaunt technique, there’s no instinctiveness or character internalisation. Ultimately, we are left with a mechanical impersonation, whose effectiveness is as questionable as its appeal is fortuitous.

There are no strokes of genius in this painting. We can praise the production’s atmospheric lighting and its practical set design. And we might spare some additional compliments for their decent costumes. However, when it comes to the heart of the show, there’s no question it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Despite its vivid thematic palette, Round About Hogarth is a colourless depiction of two masters of their craft. For the time being, it can be given the brush.

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All pictures credit to Matt Hunter.

Round Around Hogarth plays at London’s Theatre At The Tabard until 21 February. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara