| A farce very much in the here and now |
At Wales Theatre Company |
| Wales Theatre Company- The Servant of Two Masters , Swansea Grand Theatre , October 9, 2007 |
This review first appeared in The GuardianThere is one scene, halfway through Michael Bogdanov's adaptation of Goldoni's farce about a servant who greedily double-books himself, that alone is worth the price of a ticket. A member of the audience is seemingly stabbed when a fight scene gets out of hand. The 18th-century farce comes to a halt, and we enter a modern-day one, with ambulance crews, police, stage managers, squabbling actors and even the director on stage. The cast come up with thespian excuses ("It was an improvisation," cries the culprit) and there is a tussle when police want to confiscate the weapon. "We've got to finish the show," they are told. It is hilarious, and the highlight of the evening. Given that this production stars Les Dennis, whose career fortunes were revived by playing himself in Extras, it's perhaps no surprise that Bogdanov goes for a spot of playful fake reality in the midst of the drama. Dennis is rather better than you might expect, and is an effective, likable comic actor in the many ensemble scenes where his character, Truffaldino, is tangled up in the confusion he has brought about by serving two masters. He is less sure of himself in the scenes he has to carry almost alone, driving the pace and tone. Lines that a more robust comic actor might turn to gold - such as the ones Truffaldino utters when he is hungry, swooning over words that sound like foodstuffs - remain prosaic in his hands. The rest of the cast turn in dependable performances, relishing the pithy translation, perky range of insults ("you flabby bag of pig guts") and the feverish mood changes of the farce. Sean Crowley's elegant set of Venetian interiors and skyline, with its sliding panels obscuring a full view of any vista, adds to the sense of hidden truths lurking around every corner. The actors often address the audience, and Bogdanov's script bristles with expletives and contemporary references. The result is a translation of Goldoni's farce very much in the here and now, complete with a Northern Rock gag and that one very successful moment of postmodern tomfoolery. |
Reviewed by: Elisabeth Mahoney |
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