She Stoops to Conquer, King's Theatre 12 Feb
full of sharp wordy banter and musical interludes with the requisite amount of bawdiness.
| 06 Mar 2008
From the moment Bryony Lavery's winsome prologue surprises us, we are thrust into a night of deception, mistaken identities and the pursuit of sex, love and happiness. When Marlow and Hastings, two men from the city, are led to believe the Hardcastle residence is an inn and Mr Hardcastle, father of Kate (prospective wife), is an innkeeper, mayhem naturally ensues.
Part farce, part comedy of errors, Oliver Goldsmith's 18th century play She Stoops to Conquer is full of sharp wordy banter and musical interludes with the requisite degree of bawdiness. While it all adds up to good fun, the play itself feels slightly problematic. On one hand, it is stylistically located in the almost pantomime tradition of monologues and asides – evidence that the relationship between the actors and audience is paramount. The audience is in on the joke at the expense of the characters, yet this knowing approach, while amusing, often leaves little room for dramatic tension or surprise. And in spite of being driven along by levity and humour, the play sometimes drags and the lumbering mechanics of exposition expose the uneven pacing.
However, it remains an entertaining night out. The contemporary prologue and epilogue are most engaging and Marlow's declaration of love surprisingly touching. Dorothea Myer-Bennett is a feisty and fetching Kate, very much in control and more than a match for Matthew Douglas's Marlow, despite some rather lecherous lunging on his behalf. It's fantastic to see the terrific cast energise the space, and where the stockinged legs on display are - for a change - the men's.
Part farce, part comedy of errors, Oliver Goldsmith's 18th century play She Stoops to Conquer is full of sharp wordy banter and musical interludes with the requisite degree of bawdiness. While it all adds up to good fun, the play itself feels slightly problematic. On one hand, it is stylistically located in the almost pantomime tradition of monologues and asides – evidence that the relationship between the actors and audience is paramount. The audience is in on the joke at the expense of the characters, yet this knowing approach, while amusing, often leaves little room for dramatic tension or surprise. And in spite of being driven along by levity and humour, the play sometimes drags and the lumbering mechanics of exposition expose the uneven pacing.
However, it remains an entertaining night out. The contemporary prologue and epilogue are most engaging and Marlow's declaration of love surprisingly touching. Dorothea Myer-Bennett is a feisty and fetching Kate, very much in control and more than a match for Matthew Douglas's Marlow, despite some rather lecherous lunging on his behalf. It's fantastic to see the terrific cast energise the space, and where the stockinged legs on display are - for a change - the men's.