Performed by Roar Theatre at the Lion 19th June - 7th July.

With the exception of a few productions in the old Samuel Beckett (now the Three Crowns) many years ago, pub theatre hasn't ever really taken root in Stoke Newington; this is surprising especially as the proximity of an underground station has never been a prerequisite of the tradition.

I try hard to forget some of the epic journeys I've undertaken to support a friend or see a 'one-off' piece of theatrical magic involving a bus, train, tube, another bus, and a walk for good measure, probably in the rain, to sit in an audience of maybe 3, for a possibly greatly crafted, but often overlooked work of art.

Hoxton has The Rosemary Branch, Islington The Kings Head and the Old Red Lion and Highbury the Hen and Chickens, so it's about time an N16 ale house took up the tradition.There are various offers to be found in the bars along Church St such as Happy Hour and  2 cocktails for the price of one; Shakespeare for a fiver is a good one.  Roar theatre company are a young group of actors who've set up in the borough and are currently staging the Stoke Newington Shakespeare Festival. They've certainly got something to shout about and they' re doing rather better than 3 in the audience as I found out for myself when I went along  to see  Measure for Measure upstairs at The Lion.

Measure for Measure is an unresolved piece - set in Verona the Duke Vincentio (Oliver Gatten), apparently away overseas, has in fact gone underground to observe just how affairs run in his absence. He puts his deputy, the authoritarian Angelo (Chris MacDonald) in charge. As a measure of his rule Angelo condemns the young Claudio (Christopher Tester)  to death for getting his girlfriend pregnant. Claudio's sister Isabella( a compelling Chloe Pirrie),  a fair young novice, pleads for clemency. Going against his own judgement:  'Tis one thing to be tempted Escalus, another thing to fall'; Angelo finds he is inclined to spare Claudio if  the virtuous Isabella will sleep with him.  No crime is more abhorrent to the maiden en route to a nunnery and Angelo has no intention of keeping his end of the bargain. So Vincentio, not absent at all, but in disguise as a Friar, contrives to save Claudio and expose Angelo's dark past,  whilst bringing  about a few restitutions of justice.

With a simple but effective set (designed by Ellie Mills) and modern dress,  the drama unfolds on the studio floor with the audience seated amongst the action.   An inventive use of the space includes scenes with the 'bawd' Mistress Overdone, Pompey and Lucio,  at the bar. This extends into the interval when Elly Condron as the lady of the house serves up her wares to the audience with a flamboyant elaboration of the drama. In the second half all seats are gone and spectators mingle with the action.   Ultimately nobody is executed, marriages are forged in love, revenge and restitution. Essentially the production retains the comic tone of the play particularly through the roles of dissolute and duplicitous Lucio ( poetically played by Kyle Ross) and the colourful Pompey (Joncie Elmore).  The presence of Angelo's wronged fiance Mariana ( Samantha Beart singing 'Cry Me a River' with a nod to modernity), who he has refused to marry when her dowry is lost at sea, is one of the disturbing elements of the play. She has been abandoned, then stands in as Isabella for the illicit tryst, thus obligating Angelo to marry her, yet she pleads for his life to be saved when the returned Vincentio condemns him to execution. Another is the unresloved end, with the Duke's marriage proposal to  Isabella - left without an answer.  Directed by Bryony Hope, Roar embrace the dilemmas of the play in a fast paced production, the actors execute the dialogue nigh on seamlessly and create an engaging, intense intimacy. An acid test for Shakespeare with his weighty reputation is to take a companion who does not know the play and allow them to judge the production. I did and the verdict was positive.   The Bard in the bar bodes well for surreal scenes in the cemetary, with Roar's  production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Abney Park to follow from 12th July - 31st July.

Bryony Hegarty

Roar!!! The Stoke Newington Shakespeare Festival begins