Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Four stars
Enter a cast list of Steven McNicoll's queeny old ham Gros-Rene du Parc, Nicola Roy's past her sell by date debutante Therese and James Anthony Pearson's thrusting young buck, Michel Baron. There is also Sarah Miele's ingenue Menou, whose presence turns everyone's world upside down in a telling take on the consequences of what happens when you do let your daughter on the stage.
Lochhead's story of an older woman usurped by a young starlet to become the frustrated genius' muse could be straight out of a Hollywood backstage musical. But what could have ended up as one great big theatrical in-joke transcends its roots in Tony Cownie's sensitively realised production to become something with infinitely more substance.
Chisholm and co may initially appear ridiculous, but the emotional devastation experienced by Moliere, Menou and especially by Siobhan Redmond's Madeleine becomes increasingly serious stuff. There is a wonderful running gag on Moliere's series of cheeky maids', with Roy no stranger to such parts, while Molly Innes' all-seeing Toinette's deadpan put-downs upstage all in this loving homage to how the creative process itself can tear people apart.
Four stars
The play may be the thing, but the
lives of those who write them can often prove equally compelling. So
it goes in Liz Lochhead's comic love letter to her greatest
inspiration ever since her Scots version of Tartuffe graced the
Lyceum stage thirty years ago. Here we find Moliere himself, played
by Jimmy Chisholm as a middle-aged roue dubbed 'Pokey' by the rag-tag
troupe of actors he and his inspiration, Madeleine Bejart, have
pulled together, riling up the establishment as he goes.
Enter a cast list of Steven McNicoll's queeny old ham Gros-Rene du Parc, Nicola Roy's past her sell by date debutante Therese and James Anthony Pearson's thrusting young buck, Michel Baron. There is also Sarah Miele's ingenue Menou, whose presence turns everyone's world upside down in a telling take on the consequences of what happens when you do let your daughter on the stage.
Lochhead's story of an older woman usurped by a young starlet to become the frustrated genius' muse could be straight out of a Hollywood backstage musical. But what could have ended up as one great big theatrical in-joke transcends its roots in Tony Cownie's sensitively realised production to become something with infinitely more substance.
Chisholm and co may initially appear ridiculous, but the emotional devastation experienced by Moliere, Menou and especially by Siobhan Redmond's Madeleine becomes increasingly serious stuff. There is a wonderful running gag on Moliere's series of cheeky maids', with Roy no stranger to such parts, while Molly Innes' all-seeing Toinette's deadpan put-downs upstage all in this loving homage to how the creative process itself can tear people apart.
The Herald, May 26th 2016
ends
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