THE GAME OF LOVE AND CHANCE
Dis Donc
Another first night. This time it is at the Arcola, in its new temporary home under a tent just round the corner from the old theatre. The refurbishment of the old place will probably take a couple of years, so it seems the tent will be in use for a long time. It has a bar and socially distanced seating. Small wooden benches for two people, strategically place around the area. It has a slightly strange atmosphere, not exactly theatrical, more like a Pierrot show of the kind we Yorkshire kids used to see on the beach at Brid.
The show itself has a music hall feel about it.
It is a farce by seventeenth century French playwright Pierre de Marivaux translated in to a kind of British farce by Jack Gamble and Quentin Beroud.
It was a typical satirical comedy dealing with problems of the day. The cash strapped Lord Orgon is marrying off his pretty daughter Sylvia to a parvenu in order tosurive financially. The Millionaire is persuaded by his father to marry into the aristocracy in order to achieve the correct kind of prestige within Society. Sylvia persuades her cheeky aid Lisette to change places with her, so that she can act as a maid and find out about this proposed husband.
It is also a satirical comment on the difference between the classes – the masters and the servants.
The sweet cheeky maid has to be turned into her snooty mistress in order to prove the value of her proposed husband. Of course all will end happily and the company dance themselves out at the end in order to invite the vast amount of applause.
As a fan of Comedie Francaise I couldn’t help feeling sad that the high style French farce should be turned into something that would have been very much at home in the hands of Brian Rix. Not a criticism, just an observation.
The excited audience was vociferous in its reactions. The applause at a couple of moments in the play, Solo items by both Sylvia and LIsette, was as enthusiastic as if they had both produced an operatic aria. .
It was a delight to hear the surge of emotion from the people watching almost as if they were friends and families of the cast. I was reminded of the old days of Rep when some members of the company were favorites and they were applauded whenever possible.
All was good except – the wooden benches were desperately uncomfortable. Did nobody think of cushions? Not difficult. Some people in the know brought their own..
Looking around I amused myself looking at the enormous bums which were occupying those wooden benches. The pandemic has certainly improved the sizes of the these features. I was giggling about this until I realised that the same could be said of me.
A jolly show, ideal for celebrating Freedom Day!
pyekan 