SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL: Sheridan: Derby Playhouse till 6th October 2001

Derby

THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL: Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Playhouse: till 6th October: Tkts 01332 363275
Runs: 2h 45m, till Sat 6th October
Review: Rod Dungate, 19th September 2001

A sparkling and highly intelligent production, the comedy bursts into life, the laughter is well earned

Sheridan’s celebrated comedy is given a sparkling, not-too-reverent and highly intelligent production by Natasha Betteridge. While this highly talented company unerringly find their right level of artifice – or call it outrageousness – they always manage to keep their feet firmly on terra firma. The comedy bursts into life and the laughter is genuine and well earned.

The School in question is for women and effete others to meet together to destroy reputations of enemies and friends alike. An easy enough task, it would seem, since noone is what they seem, appearance is all and morality a hurdle to be overcome in private. (An early version of consenting adults behind closed doors no doubt.)

Betteridge clearly understands how these plays work. She and her designer (Philip Witcomb) set the play within its eighteenth century context and then free-wheel within it. They create their own real (if bizarre) world. While occasionally this is too much – the designs for Lady Teazel and Maria grate – for the most part it releases another level of comedy and importantly easelessly links the play to our twenty-first century.

Jeremy Nicholas (the much put upon Sir Peter Teazle) is a modern and entirely sympathetic old gent with a birth date fairly and squarely in the 1700s. Susan Bovell’s Lady Sneerwell is a great comic creation – Bovell manages to sneer with her voice, face and entire body. Matthew Sim pulls off a terrific double as the effete Crabtree and the apparatchik cum gossip-journalist Snake. Snake, in leather jacket and snakeskin trousers is a joy – Sim brings all his namesake animal’s attributes into play, including a lithe and horrifying sexiness and ever present air of danger.

This is a joint Derby Playhouse and Northampton Theatres production

Cast:
Lady Sneerwell: Susan Bovell
Snake/ Crabtree: Matthew Sim
Joseph Surface: Sam Troughton
Maria: Olivia Poulet
Mrs Candour: Katherine Igoe
Backbite/ Moses: Vincent Penfold
Sir Peter Teazle: Jeremy Nicholas
Rowley: Alexander John
Lady Teazle: Emma Pike
Sir Oliver Surface: Peter Harding
Charles Surface: Patrick Toomey
Careless/ William: Harry Peacock

Director: Natasha Betteridge
Design: Philip Witcomb
Lighting: Oliver Fenwick
Composer: Adam Cork

2001-09-23 13:17:20