Sir Peter Hall’s most recent foray from his company’s summer home has the definite feel of their adoptive base: Bath. The show, Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The Rivals, is set in the regency west-country town and, in this accomplished rendition, Sir Peter’s craft as a director shines through. Whilst taking a traditional approach to the text, the director has firmly focused on the physical comedy in the piece and it is this decision which breathes a freshness into the production.
The farce opens with the rakish Captain Jack Absolute wooing the rich Lydia Languish under the pretended name of Ensign Beverly, she unwilling to marry a man set upon gaining her money and they plan to elope. Lydia and Beverly’s tryst is orchestrated by Lucy the maid, their go-between, but she betrays their love to Lydia’s aunt Mrs Malaprop who forbids their engagement. This is further confused by the arrival of Jack’s father, Sir Anthony Absolute, proposing Jack as a husband for Lydia. Thus, the ‘rival’ is created – as Jack says ‘my father wants to force me to marry the very girl I am plotting to run away with!’ To this Sheridan adds another pair of quarrelsome lovers in Julia and Faulkland, an aristocratic Irish debtor Sir Lucius O’Trigger and the foolish Bob Acres, a country gentleman also in pursuit of Lydia’s hand. These lively players create a flurry of comic moments that climax in a nervously hilarious duel between Acres and Jack swiftly followed by the lovers forgiving their better halves.
The show also exhibits the talents of some very gifted actors. Penelope Keith is superb as Mrs Malaprop, fleeting over her unwitting linguistic misappropriations wonderfully whilst her To The Manor Born co-star Peter Bowles, in surprisingly their first stage production together, bristles as Sir Anthony although he does stop short of the ‘fury’ he threatens through-out the play. Keiron Self gives a very likeable performance as the rustic Bob Acres and his wavering entry in to a duel with the young Captain Jack demonstrated the skill of an actor gifted with great timing. It is the timing of the production which is its lasting memory and all the cast give a good account of themselves in this respect.
Newcomer Robyn Addison, in her professional stage debut, made a good fist of Lydia Languish and warmed into the role as the evening progressed. However it was Tony Gardner’s jealous Faulkland who really stole the show in his quarrels with his beloved Julia. One scene especially is memorable for his waiting for her to return after storming out from their blazing row. His skilful use of direct address, feeding of his audience and then reacting quickly and eruditely was a pleasure to watch. Whilst criticism could be levelled that he becomes too like Bob Acres in his playing is valid, the performance is first rate.
It is classily staged, Simon Higglet’s design recalls the concealed passageways of Dumas’ swashbuckling adventures mixed with the sober sandstone of Georgian grandeur and never imposes its self upon the performance; it creates a great backdrop to the narrative without dictating or upstaging. However it is tight directing of tried and tested concept with a top-notch cast that bring this production its greatest moments; as Mrs Malaprop would say, this is a production toward the ‘pineapple’ of the theatre pile.
The Rivals: ****
Image courtesy of Nobby Clark
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