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!
|
