The Libertine @ The Citizens Theatre

Written by Stephen Jeffreys in the nineties, The Libertine follows the tale of the seducer, drinker, poet, and gentleman John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester portrayed here by Martin Hutson. Directed by Dominic Hill, set in the 17th century, the plot unfolds during the reign of King Charles II (John Hodgkinson). Opening the play with Wilmot's speech about how the audience will not like him seems like a very intelligent theatrical device, as it establishes his opinion of himself (and possibly an explanation as to why Wilmot has such destructive tendencies in spite of his talents). However, after this, any speech involving a character speaking directly to the audience feels unnecessary and laboured.

Even so, his stance towards the King is certainly easy to comprehend and can be seen as a comment on situations of abuse of political power and disillusionment with certain types of government in the way that Rochester is disillusioned with the monarchy.

Dotted with anachronistic elements (for example, requiring the actors to slip from Shakespearean English to slang), the mixture of styles in the writing and its themes throughout reveals extensive understanding of Wilmot and his time, and tries to convey it. While it is important to recognise the immense amount of detail given to the construction of the play, the swift leaping around from topic to topic could - at best - be interpreted as a reflection of Wilmot as a man. It also comes across as extremely unfocused. [Eric Karoulla]