THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES. To 7 May.
Southampton
THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES
by Moliere adapted by Derek Mahon
Nuffield Theatre To 7 May 2005
Tue-Sat 7.30pm Mat 7 May 3pm
Audio-described/BSL Signed 7 May 7.30pm
Runs 1hr 50min One interval
TICKETS: 023 8067 1771
www.nuffieldtheatre.co.uk
Review Hazel Brown 19 Apri
Young love triumphs despite elderly machinations in witty update of Molière's comedy.This is the English premiere of Derek Mahon's reworking of Molière's The School for Wives, first presented at the Dublin Theatre Festival in 1990. A witty update, it retains the original's rhyming Alexandrines, but is set in the late 1940s, with live jazz performed on stage.
Middle-aged Arnolphe has decided to marry, to the consternation of his friend Chrysalde. His perfect partner is to be young, innocent and preferably stupid; she will cook, sew and not take it into her head to have affairs like the other wives in the provincial town of Avignon. In fact, his young ward, Agnès, who has grown up cloistered in a convent. She, however, loves young Horace. The plot revolves around their attempts to get together and Arnolphe's to thwart them. The play ends happily with the intervention of a deus ex machine, or rather the occupants of a dé-esse ex machina a beautiful, classic Citroen DS, a witty play on theatrical conventions.
James Clyde's Arnolphe is the picture of repressed middle aged provincial man, his head withdrawing tortoise-like between his shoulders. His splendidly awkward body language and asides to the audience make up a truly comic performance. Samantha Whittaker's wide-eyed innocence and youthful enthusiasm contrast her stiff, buttoned-up guardian and everyone is relieved when she displays independence and craft in pursuing love.
Alex Robertson is all youthful enthusiasm and dash as her sweetheart. Agnès's incompetent guardians, mother and son Alain and Georgette, are given delightful comic performances by Andy Spiegel and Janet Michael. On-stage jazz is played by 3 cast members, providing enjoyable scene openings and nicely underlined comic action. The minimalist set of a spiral staircase swathed in beautiful linen, a set of doors that flies on and off and a wall with several concealed openings provides everything necessary for the plot's preposterous twists and turns.
However, I found the male chauvinist views expressed in the play very hard to take, scarcely comic, even though the main character finally realizes too late that he has deep feelings for his ward and, Jacques-like, leaves the happy final scene. An interesting revival, nonetheless.
Arnolphe: James Clyde
Chrysalde: John Kay Steel
Alain: Andy Spiegel
Georgette: Janet Michael
Agnès: Samantha Whittaker
Horace: Alex Robertson
Oronte: Paul Kissaun
Enrique: Matt Devereaux
Musicians: Matt Devereaux, Paul Kissaun, John Kay Steel
Director: Patrick Sandford
Designer: Juliet Shillingford
Lighting: David W Kidd
Musical Director: Paul Kissaun
Fight director: Paul Benzing
2005-04-27 09:54:11