Doctor Faustus

A few additional thoughts, though it is best to see it 'cold' as it were.
    
Jenna Russell sensational.
Kit Harington very good - started a little too Classic Shakespeare for me, proclaiming rather than just talking, but became stronger throughout the performance, though he did seem more comfortable with the modern text.
Some innovations a bit irrelevant in my opinion, especially the canned laughter - started to grate very quickly.
Colin Teevan's new text - interesting, well thought out, but disappointing compared to some of the real beauty contained in Marlowe's work.
Set very good - drawing many tropes from horror movies.
Very creepy.
Some nice illusions.
Loads of blood.
What a gunshot!
Great deadly sins.
Jade Anouka stunning - I'd love to hear her say more of Marlowe's text. Or do Shakespeare. she'd be a great Hamlet.
Strong ensemble.
Interesting focus on bodies, and their relationship with the soul.
Lots to recommend, and lots to mull over when leaving the theatre. 
I thought it made a very interesting double bill with the RSC one. Both completely different whilst still having many parallels. Both place a lot of emphasis on movement, the use of a chorus, music and sexuality. 


However, despite all this goodness (and this is a big spoiler, even if you know the text)

{Spoiler - click to view}
I really really didn't like the rape. I understand what they were trying to do, and I don't think they were attempting to be gratuitous or shocking, but I thought it was wrong. I understand that it's the final stage of Faustus' damnation, an act from which he cannot return, but I thought it was completely unneeded.
For me it also just steamrollered through any ambiguity. As Faustus contemplates his future at the very end the audience (or me personally) are placed very much in his shoes. His actions throughout the play are ones that I can empathise with, (well, in Marlowe's text anyway) but this removed Faustus from his existential crisis. It didn't darken or strengthen the dramatic structure of the play's climax, it simply alienated me, and not in the way intended. I also found it a shame since Harington delivered his final speech with great clarity and intelligence, and I thought the final image of him alone onstage was incredibly haunting. A real shame, in my opinion, though I'm sure some will completely disagree with me and see it as a natural extension of the play's dark themes.

It's also an interesting matter with trigger warnings. Somebody on twitter posted wishing there had been a warning and I understand the creative dilemma. The audience is warned of "adult content" but rape is clearly outside of that category. However, I'm sure that the creative team would see warning of sexual violence as being a spoiler, especially as it isn't in the original text. It is, however, incredibly painful to watch, and Anouka's acting is brilliant, so I'm sure if had someone been through such experiences, watching this in the middle of a row of people could be incredibly difficult and uncomfortable.