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THE REHEARSAL at the Moser Theatre, Wadham Set in pre-war France the plot concerns the values and relationships of a count and countess as they rehearse a play for a party they are soon to throw. Joined by the count's arrogant, drunkenly school friend Hero and his wife's pragmatic and bitchy friend, Hortencia. Hiding behind a veneer of austerity and snobbery, the count and countess are trapped in a loveless marriage, upheld only to preserve social grace. However, this is threatened by the arrival of a young and spirited nanny for whom the count has cast a part in the play. Artless and natural he falls head over heels in love with her. The play follows much the same issues as the characters and provides a perfect backdrop for their sparring and jealousies. The second half sees a change of focus as the characters' fears emerge from beneath the facade. Hero, resentful of his friends happiness, joins forces with the countess who cannot bear her husband's involvement with someone of a lower class, and together they set out to destroy the affair. The acting is superb and well-directed in an atmospheric setting. Luci Millward plays the sophisticated but cold countess and Adam Caplan is a pleasure to watch as the authoritative count turned vulnerable lover. There are also acidic performances by Blythee Yee as Hortencia, and Mike Tweedle's Hero is very convincing. However Jean Anouilh's deeply pessimistic story of social fashion and pretence provides a thin plot with little variety amidst an assortment of equally unlikeable characters. Carla
Hyde |