Wealth, sex and status - and how to get hold of them - have been the primary obsessions of the human race since we first came down from the trees. This is why Ben Jonson's satire on human folly and, more importantly, those who would exploit it for personal gain, still has such resonance today. The play tells the story of butler Jeremy, who takes advantage of his master Lovewit's absence to reinvent himself as conman ‘Face' and set up shop with his associate ‘Subtle'. Assisted by prostitute Dorothy ‘Doll' Common, they set about conning the greedy and credulous locals out of their money.
Oxford University Dramatic Society have staged a stripped-down version of Jonson's play, sacrificing some of the plot - notably the Puritan characters of Ananias and Tribulation - to keep things to a reasonable length and to increase the sense of mayhem as the conmen's schemes unravel. In a neat touch by director Barney Hey, the play opens with the return of Lovewit to the house, the main part of the story then played out as a flashback. Georgia Bruce as the cheery and duplicitous Face, and Ed Barr as the eponymous Alchemist, make a charismatic lead pair, as they juggle their gullible clients and desperately try to keep their schemes on track. The supporting cast are also excellent, particularly Zoe Bullock as the lustful hedonist Mammon, and Connie Greenfield as the sceptical Surly.
The choice of Freud - a deconsecrated church converted into a bar - was an interesting one, but not without its downsides. While it certainly lent atmosphere to the proceedings, the acoustics left a lot to be desired, some lines getting swallowed up in the cavernous venue or drowned out by the echoes, particularly in the more frantic sections of the play. Credit should, however, go to the design and technical crew for making the most of the limited space.
Jonson's play has survived for 400 years for a reason, and OUDS's production shows why. This is a clever, fast, pointed, pertinent, and above all funny production. After another two nights at Freud, the show moves to Birmingham and then on to the Edinburgh Fringe. Catch it if you can.