THE HYPOCHONDRIAC. To 22 February.

Bolton

THE HYPOCHONDRIAC
by Moliere translated by Ranjit Bolt

Octagon Theatre To 22 February 2003
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat 5,12,22 February 2pm
Runs 2hr 15min One nterval

TICKETS 01204 520661
Review Timothy Ramsden 31 January

Strong performances in a lively production marred by over-emphasis.Believing the only way to stay alive is to spend his life taking pills, potions and prescriptions all bought at an extortionate rate in the 17th century's pre-National Health Service days Argan carries his compulsion to marrying his daughter Angelique to a deeply unattractive medic. The point's clear enough without the visual over-emphasis Mark Babych and designer Patrick Connellan impose in what is largely a finely-acted production.

True, Connellan's set-piece is impressive: a huge tilting shelf-set stocked with bottles. (He also places Argan on a portable commode, where he's discovered seated with legwear around his ankles.) But 2 hours' playing-time's a long while to be impressed by a static structure that's too assertive merely to be a background.

Though Babych underlines Moliere's points too heavily at times, he has assembled a good cast and often enough keeps the plot and character humour moving. If only he could have restrained his moments of wilder impulse. Sudden bursts of ballet as first young Angelique enters in a tutu, then her lover pirouettes on, are jokes that should have been knocked on the head by the dress-rehearsal. Lucinda Oliver remains imprisoned in dance-dress throughout. Irrelevant to character or plot, it reduces a character important in the play's balance of sympathies to a doll-like cypher.

It's not surprising that Christopher Wright's restraint succeeds: he allows audiences to make comic connections, rather than belabouring us over the edge with king-sized underlinings.

Alison Burrows' Beline, the hypocritical wife, is a wickedly funny performance: pretences and real feelings are conveyed lightning-swift with expressions changing as she wheels her face into or out of her husband's sight. A similar lightness gives Vincent Penfold and Rob Parry their comic edge.

Best of all is Michael Mears' Argan, impatient, temper-struck, one of Moliere's decent people whose lives are distorted by absurd preoccupations. Stopping mid-sentence to take another medicament in a life governed by clocks and docs,, Mears captures succinctly the ridiculous extremes of discomfort and distorted relationships which are the cul de sac for people caught up in unfounded obsessions.

Beline: Alison Burrows
Cleante: Guy Hargreaves
Monsieur Argan: Michael Mears
Angelique: Lucinda Oliver
Antoin: Rob Parry
Thomas Diaforus/Dr Purgit/Lulu: Vincent Penfold
Monsieur Bonnyface/Dr Diaforus/Beralde: Christopher Wright

Director: Mark Babych
Designer: Patrick Connellan
Lighting: James Farncombe
Sound: Andy Smith
Assistant Director: Sue Reddish

2003-02-12 15:07:36