The Bread and the Beer

Reimagining the mythical English folklore character John Barleycorn as a sort of pagan Dionysus, The Bread and the Beer is an epic poetic monologue about the greatest street party of all time. Written and performed by Bristol and LAMDA graduate Tristan Bernays, it's a raucous and energetic production that revels in its hedonism.

But much like the hedonistic celebrations it portrays, once the dust has settled, there's not a huge amount to take away from this production. It's a shallow play, with little in the way of interesting characterisation or narrative – the sparse plot taking second place behind the dense, lyrical rhythms of the script. It's a strangely alienating piece of writing when performed; a contemporary cod-Shakespearean verse depicting modern London that just doesn't quite achieve the evocativeness it sets out to grasp.

There is, however, much to be said about Tristan Bernays as a performer. Setting aside the energetic exuberance of the performance itself, Bernays is a man of noticeable charisma and beauty. His voice is strong and commanding and his range impressive: from his poetic narration to a convincing caricature of cockney tunnel-diggers, his inhabiting of the stage is thorough and commendable.

For all that, the production falls short of the giddy heights reached elsewhere this August; what's clear, though, is that the value in this production is ultimately in its showcasing of Bernays' talents as an actor. This is a man with the potential to go far indeed.