Mark Elderkin, one of our finest young actors, who audiences may recall as Hamlet in Steven Berkoff’s ingenious The Secret Love Life of Ophelia, has struck out in a new direction with mixed results. His self-written and solo-performed Swazi is an autobiographical sketch of childhood and adolescence about growing up in his native Kingdom of Swaziland before being shipped off to board at the Drakensberg Boys Choir School.
After a comic voice-over, it appears at first one’s in for a stand-up comedy routine, a shtick that doesn’t come naturally to a serious character study actor like Elderkin. His direct address to the audience, however relaxed, is shy and oddly formal. He is at his best when in mid-story, illustrating his narrative, as he does with tremendous energy, and his impersonation of his twittish stepfather is a particularly amusing portrait.
The climax of the show is a botched burglary at the family home. Mark is tied up and locked in the bathroom with his stepfather, while his mother is taken into another part of the house by the apish robbers. The result is a riveting mix of high comedy and sheer terror that stays with one days after seeing the show.
Elderkin could easily have chosen a ready-made monologue and I’m quite sure with his skills he could have packed out this small theatre for several weeks. But it’s important for actors to have a space like the Intimate where they can try out new material at low risk both to themselves and the audience.
