The Country Wife

William Wycherley's bawdy restoration comedy was presented in the Garrick Studio between 20th and 24th January 2009.

Harry Horner returns to London claiming to have been emasculated by a French surgeon. This isn't true, but he knows that the city husbands won't let him anywhere near their wives unless they believe he is impotent. He rapidly sets about seducing the bored wives of London and soon sets his eye on the foolish but beautiful new country wife of Mr Pinchwife.

Meanwhile his friend Harcourt has fallen in love with Pinchwife's sister, Alithea. Unfortunately she is already engaged to the ridiculous fop Sparkish.

A web of lies and intrigues is spun by the cunning lovers but will they be able to keep the truth from coming to light?

Directed by Andrew Bodger the action was transplanted to 1960's London to give the morality tale a modern twist.

Bawdy Fun but in Wrong Era by Paul Marston

This Restoration period comedy by William Wycherly has been moved forward to the Swinging Sixties by the players, but you are left wondering why.

The clever dialogue is still from days long gone, so the modern costumes hardly match what the audience hear.

Even so, the story of sexual intrigue is well delivered by a talented cast in the intimate surroundings of the theatre studio.

Instead of secnery, photographs representing areas of London and various lodgings are projected onto a large screen while the intricate plot unfolds.

David Stonehouse excels as the rakish Mr Horner whose supposed eunuch situation leads him to being unwisely trusted by other men while he makes hay with their wives or partners.

One of his willing 'victims' is Mrs Margery Pinchwife, up from the country and eager to taste the fun of city life. Stefanie Walker is sound in the role, but the outstanding performances come from Stonehouse and Stephen Brunton, the latter superb as the protective Mr 'Bud' Pinchwife, dtermined to keep his wife out of the clutches of the lusty Londoners, but ultimately failing.

Fine contributions, too, from Ian Parkes (Sir Jasper Fidget), Rosemary Bodger (Lady Fidget), Chris Jenkins (Mr Sparkish) and Sarah Stanley (Alithea).

Directed by Andrew Bodger, the bawdy play runs to Saturday night (Jan 24).

Romping back to the 17th Century by Tony Wood.

Restoration Comedy is a new departure for the Lichfield Players, and the clever use of the overhead screen made it clear we were moving from the Restoration period to the present times for this production of The Country Wife presented in modern costume.

You cannot take Restoration comedy at all seriously - you are not meant to - it could be seen as a 'Carry On' romp of the 1670s.

Bawdy and sexual, it is clearly not realistic, the characters however being recognisable to the audience but very overdrawn.

The frank language kept it off the stage for two centuries - even David Garrick replaced the original with a bland, cleaned up version.

The play hinges on Harry Horner's assumed impotence thus enabling him to have his way with the women of the city of London. David Stonehouse carried this part with distinction, on his shoulders was the responsibility to make this story move - doing as much justice to this as he did in the title role of the Players' recent modern approach to Henry V.

Pinchwife is up from the country with his seemly simple country wife, yet we see her change. Her husband warns her of the vices of the city but this arouses her curiosity.

Stephen Brunton's Pinchwife certainly looked on wives as property contrasting with Stephanie Walker's Margery who was being very much awakened to all around her. He takes her to the Exchange dressed as a boy to thwart male admirers.

Nonetheless she is the object of Horner's affection. His friend Harcourt falls in love with the principled Alithea (Sarah Stanley), Pinchwife's sister. She is betrothed to the foppish dandy Sparkish played in a light but very meaningful way by Chris Jenkins.

A lengthy production with many facets, it is to the credit of the cast that interest was maintained in all the complexity. There were many others involved - the Virtuous Gang - Rosenmary Bodger (Lady Fidget), Carol Lawford (Mrs dainty Fidget) and Caroline Lowe (Mrs Squeamish) all contributing to the period scene with Ian Parkes (Sir Jasper) coming over as the pure gentleman.

The story is of its age with sex and raucous behaviour, really how turns out is not significant. Here is a group of men who are self-consciously engaging wits with each other and the audience in asides so much of the time.

The fast pace kept the attention of the Players' audience. The costume and setting of the 1960s was novel and probably made the characters more distinguishable from one another.

The studio stage seemed a very busy place for this naughty Restoration piece directed by Andrew Bodger. I Don't know that I would take the vicar!