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The Would Be Gentleman By Moliere Directed by Andrea Hooymans Giant Olive Lion & Unicorn Theatre Special Effects William Pine 42 – 44 Gaisford Rd London NW5 2ED Call 0207 485 9897 Tickets £8 - £10 Tues - Sat 7.30pm; Sun 7pm Running time 1 hr 45 mins with intermission Through August 2008 Who’s a Pretty Boy, Then? The fledgling company, Giant Olive, now resident at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre has dived into the deep end. Here they present ‘The Would Be Gentleman’ (‘le Bourgeois Gentilhomme’) considered one of the masterpieces of the great French playwright, Moliere, himself considered the creator of modern French comedy, with all its delicate intricacies. The music master in the play says of the wealthy, boorish merchant: ‘Monsieur Jourdain is a sweet income, with visions of nobility and gallantry which he has got into his noodle’. He is the ignorant commoner, with pretentions of being like a grand witty lord. He has more money than sense, and is a ‘mark’ for those who can see much mileage milking this gullible cash cow. The play, which has sometimes been described as a collection of sketches, provides the material which draws the director’s temptations toward the style of the Comedia del Arte of Moliere’s early work, and indeed, there were some funny episodes. The elocution lesson was a comic turn that made it almost impossible not to mouth the vowels along with the players, and the Turkish ‘mamamouchi’ scene was most enjoyable. Director Andrea Hooymans was certainly not helped by the leading actor walking out on the show three days before opening night and it is with bravery and optimism that this emergency was coped with. The show opened as scheduled, but the wisdom of that decision is questionable, for an extra two or three days preparation might have provided the fluency the production needed. Simon Ryerson, taking over the lead at the eleventh hour provided glimpses of a bravura comedy performance to come, and he was supported by all the company, who rallied round him and went at the comedy with extra gusto. It is to be hoped that the production achieves a balance of true characterisation with the right level of comic understanding, and with much less playing straight out to the audience. This had the effect of taking the production into panto territory, and undermining the few moments when an aside was made to the house. This can be attributed to an untrained, inexperienced hand at the helm. As the programme notes describe, it is the imperative to ‘satirise folly and vice without sacrificing the dramatic art’. The words ‘hoist on your own petard’ are uncomfortably appropriate. Of the performances, Alex Hunter’s various characterisations were a pleasure to watch, and the company provided feel-good ensemble work that promises much. The recommendation attached to this review is for the clear potential which the play in its state of readiness achieved.
Recommended Saul Reichlin London Correspondent ChicagoCritic.com Talk Theatre in Chicago Podcast Reviewed 6 August 2008 |
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