THE MATCHMAKER. To 16 October.
Pitlochry
THE MATCHMAKER
by Thornton Wilder
Pitlochry Festival Theatre In rep to 16 October 2003
Mon-Sat 8pm Mat Wed & Sat 2pm
Runs 2hr 30min One interval
TICKETS: 01796 484626
boxoffice@pitlochry.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 10 May
Hallo, Thornton. It's so nice to have you done as you deserve.Pitlochry 2003 opens with a thunderingly fine production of Wilder' ruminative comedy, which spawned Hello Dolly and derives from the same Nestroy piece as Stoppard's On The Razzle. Note Dolly Levi's Austrian connection though Wilder's quite pan-European, helping himself to chunks of Moliere's Miser along the way.
It's a bright, colourful staging only the farcical third act hotel dining-room proceedings have their pacy style cramped. Martyn James is splendidly pompous as rich old Vandergelder, who imagines he's at the centre of things. That position's really held by matchmaking Dolly Levi (of 'Hello, Dolly' fame in the world of musicals, where, of course, 'Matchmaker, Matchmaker' comes from Fiddler on the Roof).
Ann Scott Jones gives her a smiling persuasiveness, with a firm voice that lets you know she'll have her way because she's used to clearing the way, yet never losing the smile and forthcoming good-nature that makes you think old Vandergelder may end up better than he deserves.
If Pitlochry's a deliberate middle-of-the-road theatre, there are a lot of high-roads less well-surfaced. But Ian Grieve's production also catches the balance of folksy and wry in the play, his cast effortless in the Wilder moments when they speak thoughts direct to the audience. (In his day this was doubtless more surprising than it seems to our multi-genre times.)
Moments are milked for laughter there's a cartoon side to the play as when Steven McNicoll's waiter responds keenly to a chance brush-past. But the milk never turns sour. McNicoll's superbly funny too as conductor of a Lodge street-band, swaying his baton with comically delicate pointillism as the brass-and-wind merchants mime oomphily on their 2D instruments. It's a delightful way of keeping comic momentum through scene changes.
There's every sign of a happy production, with Pitlochry favourites out in force - Jimmy Chisholm's cheeky-chappie Mr Fixit emanating surprise and enterprise in equal portions, Janet Michael giving some dignity to the failing senses of Vandergelder's sister (a touchy thing to bring off to modern sensibilities) and an excellent depiction of shy men on the razzle from Philip Hazelby and Jamie Chapman.
A wisecracking, cracker-barrel hell of a show.
Horace Vandergelder: Martyn James
Ambrose Kemper: Guy Fearon
Joe Scanlon/Cabman: Moray Treadwell
Gertrude/Cook: Janet Michael
Cornelius Hackle: Philip Hazelby
Ermengarde: Shelley Otway
Malachi Stack: Jimmy Chisholm
Mrs Dolly Levi: Ann Scott Jones
Barnaby Tucker: Jamie Chapman
Mrs Irene Malloy: Carrie Ellis
Minnie Fay: Louise Bolton
Rudolf: Dougal Lee
August/Band Leader: Steven McNicoll
Gypsy: Ian Moyes/Allan Webster/Benita Wylie/Betty Stark
Miss Flora van Huysen: Lynette Clarke
Lodge Band: Members of the Community
Director: Ian Grieve
Designer/Costume: Charles Cusick Smith
Lighting: Mark Pritchard
2003-05-20 12:05:37