THE MAN OF MODE by George Etherege. Northcott Theatre, Exeter to 10 November.

Exeter

THE MAN OF MODE
by George Etherege

Northcott Theatre, Exeter To 10 November 2001
Runs 2hr 50mins One interval

TICKETS 01392 493493
Review Hazel Brown 23 October

Restoration comedy, beautifully dressed but with mannered cruelty at its heart.'Constancy is not a virtue in season,' declares Dorimant, the leading wit, and so it proves. He plots to be rid of his current mistress, Mrs Loveit, and pursue her friend, Belinda. However, his attention is caught by a new arrival, the young and beautiful heiress Harriet. He is aided and abetted by his friends Medley and Young Belair; together they use the quintessential fop, Sir Fopling Flutter, to cast off Mrs Loveit. The sub-plot involves Young Belair's desire to marry Emilia, despite his lascivious father's attempts to woo her for himself and marry off his son to Harriet.

Love, wit and clothes are the sole concerns of these creatures. Robert Whitelock does not quite achieve the magnetism to make Dorimant irresistible, whereas Katharine Rogers is magnificent as Mrs Loveit, the scorned and betrayed woman. David Birrell stoutly resists the temptation to overplay the fop, despite the over-the-top clothes and wig, which make him a wondrous creature ripe for ridicule. Rachel Ferjani is charming as Harriet, a girl with a mind of her own, also smitten by Dorimant. She captures him by pretending lack of interest, but when he declares his love and intention to marry her at end of the play, it is unlikely that he will settle to a quiet life in 'horrid Hampshire'.

Matthew Smith's production is well served by a simple set of bed, doors and floating curtains. The costumes are rich in silk and lace, but the younger actors need stronger direction to prevent them from simply striking a pose and declaring their lines – or perhaps they, like me, found the cruelty at the heart of the play hard to accept.

2001-11-01 01:18:36