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"Fortune's
Fool"
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Bates Archive
Fortune's Fool Reviews
Fortune Smiles
The critics' enthusiasm for "Fortune's
Fool" has been nearly universal, but I do have a couple
of thoughts to add. Some reviewers like the performances better
than the play; others focus on Alan Bates and Frank Langella,
and give less attention to the rest of the cast. I want to adjust
that balance, feeling as I do that the play itself is a gem,
and that the memorable work of Bates and Langella is at the heart
of a superb ensemble.
THE PRAISE FOR Alan Bates's performance in "Fortune's
Fool" is, of course, richly deserved: Kuzovkin is one of
his great roles. He reveals the mix of humility and dignity,
sadness and hope, love and frustration that make up  Kuzovkin's
threadbare life. We absorb it all, not only from what he says,
but also from his posture, tone of voice, deference, ingrained
courtesy. His hilarious predicament - and its resolution - when
he inadvertently drops a napkin and is too tipsy to pick it up,
is reminiscent of Buster Keaton's physical comedy, but it's also
pure Bates.
 We love this sad man, so our laughter
is warm, and turns easily to anger when he is placed in undeserved
difficulties by his adversary, Frank Langella's dangerously
witty Tropatchov. (During the Chichester production, one English
critic said that he found his hands clenched into fists in the
first act, and realized that he wanted to jump onstage and punch
Tropatchov.)
Langella pushes his character
to the limit, without quite going over the top. It's an intelligent
performance; we know bullies like Tropatchov, who dominate by
force of personality, and we see that while Tropatchov may have
wealth, he is no gentleman. We laugh, but our laughter is not
affectionate - it's involuntary, a reaction to his outrageous
insolence. Poulton has given Tropatchov the gift of a terrific
line that caps the surprises of the first act, and Langella offers
it with delicious timing.
- master storyteller -
This version of "Fortune's Fool" is a treasure for
performers and audiences alike. Russian theatre of the 19th and
early 20th centuries is filled with stock situations and characters;
 Mike
Poulton (shown here with producer Rita Gam), who created
the adaptation, has done us the service of shortening this play,
eliminating such stereotypes as an elderly, bow-legged tailor
[See his notes in the "Background" section of these
pages]. The elements that are left - the estate too long run
by its servants, the hangers-on, the bustle and ceremony at the
arrival of the newlyweds, the fond nanny, even the fine young
couple - are instantly familiar. We settle into "Fortune's
Fool" with anticipation, wondering where Turgenev, that
master storyteller, will take us. It's as inviting as "Once
upon a time...", and as timeless. Many have noted the "Fortune's
Fool" audience behavior: quiet, hanging on every word, totally
engaged - laughter in all the right places, and not in the wrong
ones (when Tropatchov crowns the dozing Kuzovkin with a fool's
cap made from a napkin, there are uneasy laughs from the characters
onstage, but none in the audience: we are appalled). Audiences
LOVE this play.
- friends and henchmen -
  Kuzovkin's old friend
Ivanov, played by George Morfogen reveals a poor and stodgy
man, who clings to his independence, barely maintaining his property.
He is the voice of caution: he wants to pull Kuzovkin away from
Tropatchov's torment, to preserve his dignity. Ultimately, he
loses patience ("look what they've done to you!" he
shouts, when Kuzovkin has nodded off and been garnished with
the cap).
Tropatchov too has a companion,
Karpatchov (Karpy, or "Little Fish"). Timothy Doyle
gives us a timorous gofer, a follower and henchman, who does
Tropatchov's bidding out of intimidation. He is our first sign
that Tropatchov is more than the foppish local wit and bon vivant;
he is cruel to his Little Fish, orders him about, humiliates
him. Doyle's performance is nuanced, suggesting a good but weak
man doing what he must to get by; he has our sympathy.
(An interesting minor point about
the similarity of the Tropatchov/Karpatchov names: tipped off
by the fact that Karp is indeed a fish (carp) in Russian, I asked
a Russian colleague if Tropatchov's name would also carry a message
to native speakers. She says that it is very close, especially
when said aloud, to "tryapatsya," which means something
like "foolish babbling.")
- the newlyweds -
Enid Graham, as Olga Petrovna, is a breath of youth
and sweetness: everyone on the estate is glad to see her. Graham
gives us a young heiress who seems to have only happy memories
about her  childhood
home, and generous intentions. She expects her husband Pavel
Yeletsky (whom she calls Paul) to love her home ... and to be
the master of it. Nonetheless, she shows herself to be a woman
of spirit and deep feeling: she insists upon truth and justice
when fate threatens to divide her affections. Olga's scenes with
Kuzovkin are particularly touching.
Benedick Bates gives depth
to Pavel Nikolaitch Yeletsky, who is described by Turgenev as
a "frigid, formal, cold-hearted bureaucrat," older
than his new wife. Olga herself alludes to his coldness, saying
that in spite of it, she knows he is also a man of feeling. Bates
gives us the stiff official, wanting to review the books and
view his property, not hesitating to chide his wife. But in addition,
he reveals a loving husband who cares deeply for his wife's well
being, and a man who means to deal firmly but fairly with the
irregularities he finds. It takes strength of character to best
the overweening Tropatchov; but Bates's Yeletsky credibly does
so. (Bates, for whom this is a Broadway debut, now lives in New
York. He has a significant body of work on stage and television
in the UK, and should soon become familiar to US audiences.)
- bouquets -
 This
quartet of supporting players are individually convincing, and
also look just right for their parts (as do the household servants,
featuring the excellent Lola Pashalinski as Olga's former
nanny, Edwin C. Owens as Tremblinsky, who has let the
estate run down a bit, and the footman, Jeremy Hollingworth).
All wear Jane Greenwood's fine costumes with ease -- particularly
Enid Graham and Ben Bates, both tall and elegant, the picture
of young Russian aristocrats.
A production this harmonious and
satisfying must reflect the quality of the director's vision;
so warmest thanks and tossing of bouquets to Arthur Penn
for the generosity of his gift to us.
We come away from "Fortune's
Fool" replete with laughter; exhilerated by superb performances,
satisfied by a well-told tale. Critic Clive Barnes is exactly
right when he says that you'll remember it all your life. |||
Karen Rappaport
Boston, 10.iv.02
All cast photos taken by Bruce Glikas for broadway.com;
Music Box by KMR.
Footnote: The opening of "Fortune's
Fool" has been exciting and gratifying for friends of Alan
Bates. Exciting because the response -- to the play itself, and
to his performance in particular -- has been extraordinary. Gratifying
because New Yorkers are now learning what Alan's fans have known
for years about the depth and quality of his work.
I also
feel a certain degree of frustration, wanting everyone who wishes
Alan well to be able to see this wonderful play. If "Fortune's
Fool" is filmed, it will reach a far broader audience than
a season in New York can. But a film is not a live performance.
I therefore urge you, if it is within your means, to visit New
York this spring -- pay your respects to a great city and immerse
yourself in all that it has to offer, beginning with "Fortune's
Fool." The last performance is 21 July.
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Bates Archive Readers comment...
... You are in for a treat ... Alan Bates was terrific, as
was Frank Langella. Benedick Bates, and the rest of the cast.
We saw "The Unexpected Man" a little over a year ago,
but I think this current play showcases his talent a bit more
than that one did, good as it was. I marvel at the energy
Mr. Bates must have, given the fact that he seems to
be working non-stop!
- Karen Birchak
...The highest compliment I could pay to the cast, especially
Frank Langella and Benedick Bates, is that they took my attention
away from the elder Mr. Bates, quite a feat indeed. I will
go out of my way to see Mr. Langella perform in the future.
What a presence he is - and a surprisingly comedic one at that!
- Dawn Anderson
What makes a person want to experience live drama? ...a
story that unfolds through the expertise of gifted actors
...a total immersion in the emotional tangles of the characters...the
feeling of 'being there', and identifying with universal truths
that make up human nature.
Turgenev created the story. Penn
created the situations. Langella and Bates create the magic.
I am looking forward to experiencing this frenzy of dramatic
fortune for the fourth time, again soon.
- Anarene Barr
I was glad I was sitting so close to the stage for the second
act, in which Alan's face reflects so much that isn't said.
I came close to tears a couple of times, just watching him react
to Olga's pleas.
- Carol Robinson
. . .
...This was the best theatre we've seen in New York in quite
a while. Alan's performance in this play is worthy
of a Tony .... His son Benedick gave a truly convincing performance
in a difficult role. Enid Graham was effective in her role, especially
in her scenes with Alan. Frank Langella was a joy to watch
while he fully exploited some of the most comic lines in
the play. After the play we waited at the stage exit and had
a chance to meet Alan and his son who were both gracious and
unaffected.
- Paul Caputo
Bates is sensational. One cannot look at anyone else
when he's speaking. ... Langella does a wonderful job at being
funny and despicable at the same time. ... The brightest moment,
especially for people in the front orchestra, was seeing AB's
eyes well up when he meets the heiress to the estate where his
character's been living since he was 20. His drunken scene
is a tour-de-force that, if there's justice, should win him a
Tony nomination.
While every detail of AB's character
in "The Unexpected Man" was an elegant and successful
person, his "Fortune's Fool" persona is burdened with
heartbreak and humiliation, while preserving dignity in its core.
...Standing ovation at the end, with AB & FL both
taking bows simultaneously, the two looking like they really
enjoyed each other's performance.
- Fausta Wertz
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Langella and Bates sign autographs
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