Restoration comedy can be a fusty and dull affair for a modern audience, but there’s so much flair and so many fine performances in Simon Godwin’s production that it scrubs up fresh, cheeky and joyous. When you hear Mrs Sullen’s feminist speech at the opening of the second half, its hard to believe it’s over 300 years old.
Two groups are on the make – Aimwell & Archer, gentlemen down on their luck, and highwayman Gibbet and his companions, in cahoots with the landlord of the inn – and the target of both is the riches of Lady Bountiful and her family. Lady Bountiful’s daughter Dorinda is in the market for a man to marry and her daughter-in-law wants rid of her drunken husband. No-one gets what they expected, but Aimwell and Archer do both get a wife. The presence of French soldiers provides another opportunity for humour, not all at their expense.
Lizzie Clachan’s three-story building transforms from inn to house and back again slickly and elegantly. The costumes are gorgeous and there’s a tea set to die for! Michael Bruce’s brilliant live music, superbly integrated within the play, contributes much to its success, and the song cues themselves make for a very funny running joke. Samuel Barnett and Geoffrey Streatfieild are a fantastic comedy double-act as Aimwell & Archer, very sprightly with great chemistry between them, as are Suzannah Fielding and Pippa Bennett-Warner as the sister and sister-in-law who are the closet of friends. There are so many other lovely performances, including Pearce Quigley as ever so droll servant Scrub and Jaimie Beamish as Folgard, a French priest who’s really Irish – his hybrid accent is a hoot.
This is the sort of thing the National do so well and it really compliments the rest if the current repertoire. Thoroughly recommended.
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