Gawain and the Green Knight at Park Theatre
From director Kelly Ann Stewart, Park Theatre’s Gawain and the Green Knight transplants the titular Arthurian hero from the Middle Ages to middle management. Far from a gallant soldier, Gawain (real name Gary) is a salesman who can’t seem to get his act together. This retelling of the legend is one part The Sword in the Stone and two parts The Office; as eccentric as it sounds, but enjoyable all the same.
Taking its cues from the beats of the original poem, the play begins with Gawain being banished from Camelot. Except in this case, Camelot is a cybersecurity company and ‘banishment’ is code for “firing” – and just before Christmas, too. Horrible bosses Arthur and Lance (the “elot” is silent) feel Gawain just doesn’t offer enough “spark” to the firm – his sin, they have decided, is that he’s too boring. To try to prove them wrong (and mayhaps win the heart of his work crush Gwynne), he takes on a mysterious challenge issued by the fearsome Green Knight, leading to an epic quest in which he must pass brutal tests of character to demonstrate five knightly traits.
Gawain and the Green Knight is as warm-hearted and amusing as you could want for Christmas fare, with plenty of laughs and a sweet story. The co-writers Felix Grainger and Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson also star, and Grainger is an excellent Gawain – vulnerable and ultimately quite endearing. The slightly helpless Gawain’s attempts to become a fearsome knight are funny in the typical fish-out-of-water kind of way. In particular, the physical comedy is a standout, with some great characterwork and a lovely repeat bit involving faux slow-motion.
There’s an obvious mismatch between the old-school tale and the new-school office setting, which is clearly played for laughs (and effectively so). But it does come at the expense of what could’ve perhaps been a stronger narrative arc. Gawain’s primary motivation is essentially to prove he’s not the wet wipe everyone says he is. But given this accusation came from the company bullies – while his work bestie Gwynne clearly already has the hots for him – it’s a bit of an odd starting point for a noble quest. It’s even harder to shoehorn in why a cybersecurity expert might need to prove his chastity (one of the knightly virtues).
It doesn’t help that the story takes a while to hit its stride – we spend a lot of time learning about Gawain’s “banishment”, and the thrust of the questing doesn’t really kick off until act two. Grainger and Fogarty-Graveson have stuck pretty faithfully to the plot points of the original poem, but perhaps it would’ve been better to go more off-piste to better marry together the disparate elements.
Nonetheless, there’s enough humour and good cheer on offer to make Gawain and the Green Knight a charming festive outing.
Maggie O’Shea
Photos: Kira Turnpenny
Gawain and the Green Knight is at Park Theatre from 10th until 24th December 2025. For further information or to book, visit the theatre’s website here.
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