REVIEW: LAUTREC by Fergus Rattigan at Hen and Chickens Theatre 15 to 17 of August / Camden Fringe

“ribald and entertaining” ★★★

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a small man who lived large. At only 4ft 8, he cut a distinctive, bowler-hatted figure in the lively fin-de-siècle nightclubs of Monmartre, Paris including famously the Moulin Rouge. He frequented the underworld of Paris, necked bright green Absinthe and became embroiled, sexually and emotionally, with many women of the night, some who would go on to become his celebrated subjects. Through his canvases and lithographs, Toulouse-Lautrec captured a sensual, nocturnal world of joie de vivre, colour and carnality. Although liquor and sexually-transmitted disease resulted in mental breakdown and an early death, the one-man protest that was Toulouse-Lautrec crammed more experience into his 36 years than most of us can only dream of.

Some of Toulouse-Lautrec’s work hangs in London’s Coultauld Gallery and his work remains strikingly contemporary. Although some portraits have a dream-like quality, Toulouse-Lautrec strove for realism and aimed to immortalise “every fat fold, every mole”.  While the exuberant canvases are mesmerizing, they become even more so when we consider the story of this small man with a towering talent which this production conveys with aplomb. In this one-hour drama comedy, brought to life by writer/performer and executive producer, Fergus Rattigan, we journey through Lautrec’s boyhood, from the in-breeding and childhood accidents that lead to his disability, to the decadent nightlife and brothels of Paris, where prostitutes strut or do the can-can.  

Here, far from the bourgeois values of his stiff upbringing Lautrec was free to live the bohemian life he desired and where he found his true home and spiritual family. This ribald and entertaining debut show from Shadow Mask is directed by Natalie Winter (Jam Tart/Lemon Kurd). Rattigan is joined on stage by Belgian performer, Marie Drisch (Green Lanes, Restless) who energetically performs 11 different roles, whipping in and out of costumes and voices with game determination. Rattigan who directed Marlowe’s Dr Faustus; Revenge: The Horror Cabaret (2021) and Our Country’s Good (2018) most recently appeared in Jack Thorne’s TV drama about the Disability Rights movement, Then Barbara met Alan (2021)

 At four foot six, Rattigan is actually two inches shorter than Toulouse-Lautrec and embodies his character wholeheartedly and with empathy. As he works the stage in his tailcoat or dragon-printed robe, pontificating, philosophising and pledging himself to hedonism, the audience is won over by his refusal to be defined by his disability and resolve to live a full life, as both artist and man. Occasionally, it teeters into ‘allo ‘allo territory and is a little slow in places, but on the whole, this worthwhile show offers entertainment while teaching us something about the enigma behind the work. Rattigan was initially drawn to the artist in Baz Luhrmann’s film, Moulin Rouge. “People with dwarfism (me) stunted growth or mobility issues can relate to his everyday battles. As well as his use of art to capture a world that he could only have limited involvement in.” Like his paintings, the daily challenges of Toulouse-Lautrec remain just as relevant and inspiring today.

LAUTREC at Hen and Chickens Theatre Bar (nearest Tube: Highbury and Islington)

15 to 17h of August 7.30pm

Box Office https://camden.ssboxoffice.com/events/lautrec/

Reviewed by Nilgin Yusuf

Nilgin recently graduated from a four-year Creative Writing degree at Birkbeck, where she discovered a dormant appreciation for theatre, scriptwriting and stagecraft. An experienced author, lecturer and journalist (ex-Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph and ELLE) Nilgin is developing her first full-length stage play, supported by Mrs.C’s Collective and the Arts Council.