Some believe Arthur was a real warlord active in the west of England around the fifth century. Others maintain he existed entirely in myth. Now it can be revealed that the legendary king reigns over a park in Greater Manchester.
Cheetham Hill is not exactly famed for tors and ley-lines, though outdoor theatre specialists Feelgood make a fine job of transforming it into a magical realm. Richard Ashton's imposing Merlin keeps popping up from behind the trees, while there are helpful druids and handmaidens to guide you every step of the 3/4 mile circuit.
Even so, director Caroline Clegg cannot retain control over the natural elements. The recent dry spell has drained Merlin's lake to the extent that Paul David-Gough's Arthur has to fish Excalibur out of a couple of inches of water. And a squad of CID officers were despatched to the park when a member of the public discovered a fake rubber finger, which Rosie Mason's Morgana mislaid at a previous performance.
Peter Clifford's script is a serviceable digest of the best-known episodes recounted by Malory, Geoffrey of Monmouth and Chrétien de Troyes; though as medieval romances they invariably work better intoned by firelight than bellowed across a field. The complex schisms of pre-Arthurian England are neatly illustrated, however, by assigning spectators to different clans, thereby creating the interesting spectacle of an audience at war with itself.
The a cappella harmonies are exquisite. Ben Sutherland's Lancelot acquires a heightened air of knightly authority by looking good on a horse, and Eve Robertson's Guinevere is impressive with a broad sword. Clearly in this version of courtly romance, damsels are doing it for themselves.
· Until August 6. Box office: 0161-236 7110.
