Where There’s a Will

Where There’s a Will A lively farce and a diverting evening marked the 2009 return of English Touring Theatre to Malvern’s Festival Theatre. Nicki Frei’s new translation of George Feydeau’s Le Systeme Ribadier offered an opportunity to eavesdrop on the amours of the fashionable haute bourgeoisie in late nineteenth century Paris. The cool and elegant setting of a first floor reception room with its convenient balcony provided the necessary entrances and exits for a fast moving series of encounters. Costumes were equally fashionable and worn with aplomb. Even the huge portrait of the leading lady’s late husband was “a Manet” and quite convincing too! Peter Hall directed with pace, drawing fine performances from the male characters especially. In farce the speed of events is crucial to the success of the play as the story leaps from scene to scene exposing the vanities, hypocrisies and emptiness of the characters. Tony Gardner as Thommereux understood the frenetic pace required and had the style to carry off the part of the would-be lover with panache; his movement and facial expressions were perfectly judged to convey vanity, deviousness and disaster as the play unfolded. Charles Edwards was the apparently upright husband, Ribadier, complaining of his wife’s suspicions while carrying on an affair with the wife of a wine-merchant. Outrage, hypocrisy and fear broke through his respectable façade allowing us to laugh as he faced the price of his infidelity. Savinet, the wine merchant, offered a tour-de-force whose powerful personality, commercial acumen and commonsense reminded of Doolittle, Shaw’s dustman, from time to time. Only Nellie Harker as Sophie, the put-upon wife, didn’t quite convince . Her naturalistic approach led to a more passive performance whereas sparkle and passion were what was required. Sara Stewart in particular and Jason Thorpe, as the maid and groom, gave good support to the principals. Sara Stewart’s part offered more opportunity being in the long tradition of pert servants from Moliere on, a role which she played with insouciance and humour. Without the brilliance of A Flea in her Ear with its bewildering hotel door openings and closings Where There’s a Will certainly entertains with its speed, its humour, its impressive set and costumes and its finely judged acting.

David Farrell, Hereford