Review of the revived production of The Knight of The Burning Pestle at Sam Wanamaker's Playhouse at the Globe. Start by marking “The Knight of the Burning Pestle” as Want to Read: Error rating book. She suggests her nephew as someone that can turn the performance around. Rachel Nouchi is a contributor to Exeunt Magazine, Produced by Cheek by Jowl and Moscow Pushkin Theatre. The Knight of the Burning Pestle is indeed a character in search of an author. A co-production by Cheek by Jowl and the Moscow Pushkin Drama Theatre gives us a new hilarious modern twist (in Russian) complete with subtitles.. Everyone around me is loving it. Beaumont combines some humorous satire, a couple of lovers outwitting an obstinate father, a dash of ridiculous farce, an endearingly affectionate and ridiculous pair of commentators, and a good healthy dose of soul-searching questioning of the barriers between illusion and reality. I was pleasantly surprised. The play started out as this post-modern type production with minimalist staging. The actors take up their various positions on stage. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work. An entertaining, unconventional play that was far ahead of its time. It would be fun to do this in a 3/4 or round -- the action and the audience need to have very little space between. This wackadoodle satire of chivalric romance and Beaumont's theatrical contemporaries features an anachronistically po-mo, self-conscious framing narrrative and oodles of dirty-minded, word play. Meta and full of snark with sly commentary on audience expectations and the perils of fan-service. Arthur F. Kinney (Blackwell 2013). Eventually, the players go along with the woman’s suggestion which results in them all appearing in elaborate costumes and performing a play with her nephew playing the knight. Absolutely ridiculous, like some sort of cross between, Absolutely brilliant! By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. While it ends on a note of light-hearted jollity, I can’t help wishing that for all the energy expelled in performance, the evening could move me beyond the silly jokes and flirty romps through theatrical genres into something more meaningful. It's a tough play to sell, but once you really crack down and read it the gems can be found. If you’ve ever watched a very important play and found yourself yearning for some light-hearted escapism instead, then the Jacobean playwright Francis Beaumont understood your pain.