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The Noble Spaniard |
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The Phoenix Theatre Company |
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Hawkesbury Little Theatre |
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October 21, 2004 |
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| This review first appeared in the 'Evening Leader'. The Phoenix Theatre Company of Mold served up a stunning and heart-warming performance of the Somerset Maugham classic comedy The Noble Spaniard at Buckley’s Hawkesbury Little Theatre last week. Written and first performed in 1909, the plot centres round the immense and manic efforts of the Duke of Hermanos to woo Marion, the lovely damsel he has set his heart on. Misunderstanding follows misunderstanding every few moments as the hell-raising hidalgo attempts to net his catch, with duelling weapons appearing more often than Marley’s ghost and a nosegay being flung through an open window with alarming regularity. Admittedly Maugham’s script was both timeless and magnificent, but under the superb direction of Mike Evans the players breathed joyful life into every line and left the audience aching with mirth and enjoyment. In short it was a real triumph. Kevin Taws, as the lovelorn grandee, posed and postured his way through the piece with great comedic effect, while Mandy Roberts gave us a wonderfully assured, confident and coquettish performance as the widowed Marion, with clear diction and great facial expression. Gwyn Brick performed splendidly as the bluff, blustering Mr. Justice Proudfoot, regardless of whether he wore one shoe or two, while Helen Phillips as the ill-used and oft-misguided Lady Proudfoot simpered, wept and smiled her way through the drama with great effect. The young lovers’ angle came from Luke Crofts as Captain Chalford, dubbed Don Whiskerandos after sporting one of the most ludicrous moustaches ever witnessed on a British stage, and Lizzy Balmain as his delightfully dizzy fiancee, Lucy. Both took their parts well. Jan Gavin gave a convincing and well-defined glimpse into the mind of the excitable Countess de Moret, and Ieuan Watkins proved to be a gifted comic actor as the Count de Moret in his rib-tickling final encounter with the Duke. Add to that the amusing cameo performance of Angela Tidswell as the perpetually perplexed maid, Mary-Jane, and you have all the reasons why this was a production liberally laced with poise, pace, professionalism and real panache. With excellent costumes, lighting, stage and sound to boot, the whole effect was simply stunning, and there’s at least one old hack who can’t wait to see the next offering from this highly talented theatre company. |
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| Les Lever | |
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