Review: Comedy of Errors, With Alex Brightman and David Fynn, Brings Double the Laughs in Washington, DC

Whoever conceived the dream pairing of Alex Brightman and David Fynn — celebrated for their roles as Dewey in School of Rock on Broadway and in London, respectively — as the dual Dromios in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s latest production of The Comedy of Errors, deserves some sort of award, or at the very least, tremendous thanks from the theater community. The pair would have left the Bard himself in awe.

Simon Godwin’s new production extracts every bit of humor from the two gifted funnymen playing Dromio of Syracuse and Dromio of Ephesus, and they take the confusion over mistaken identity to new heights.

For those unfamiliar with one of Shakespeare’s earliest works, The Comedy of Errors revolves around two sets of long-lost identical twins — Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse, and Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus — and a fateful trip finds the four in the same town, where a series of comical misunderstandings unfolds as a host of characters mistake one twin for the other, over and over again.

Godwin and choreographer Nancy Renee Braun find comedy gold in the chaos, thanks a great deal to Brightman and Fynn, whose comedic blunders, entertaining quips, and physical slapstick leave no laugh behind.

Christian Thompson and Ralph Adriel Johnson are also spot-on as Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus, respectively, capturing the distinct personalities and comedic confusion of their characters and adding depth to what historically has been somewhat drab roles.

While the women in the play aren’t given as much to do as the main foursome, Pearl Rhein as Angela the Goldsmith is divine, while Shayvawn Webster as Antipholus’s confused wife, Adriana, and Cloteal L. Horne as her equally baffled sister Luciana, hold their own. The convoluted love stories are never fully explored, but here, laughs rightly come first.

The rest of the supporting cast is formidable. Timothy D. Stickney is a standout as Egeon, the old Syracusan who sets up the backstory of the tale with his powerful voice. Amanda Naughton shines as Emilia, though her role is limited. Kimberly Dodson delivers a feisty turn as Thaisa and wows in a devilish costume (designed by Alejo Vietti), while Eric Hissom amuses with his antics, both as the Duke and as Pinch, infusing the performance with splendid merriment.

Music (by composer Michael Bruce) also plays an important role in the show. Though not every production of The Comedy of Errors incorporates songs, Godwin opted to feature humorous musical interludes between scenes to enhance the storytelling and maintain the show’s momentum. Plus, it gives Brightman and Fynn the chance to use their strong voices. Their duet on “The Merry, Merry Month of May” at the beginning of Act 2 is pure delight.

Scenic designer Ceci Calf has some fun with the play’s nautical theme, while Vietti’s costumes are bright and comic-bookish. Makeup and hair designer Charles G. Lapointe has created incredible lookalikes with the two sets of twins. Some in the audience seemed to think only one actor played each pair of twins.

The play ends with a high-energy, smile-inducing jubilant musical number reminiscent of Mamma Mia! Brightman and Fynn keep that energy high throughout and make this Shakespearean classic one of the first feel-good shows of the new DC season.