Ye Olde Rose and Crowne Theatre Pub 12 – 28 February. Reviewed by Claire Roderick
This charming production proves that it’s not so grim oop North.
In this musical retelling of “She Stoops To Conquer”, director Brendan Matthew has moved the setting to 1919, celebrating the strength of the female characters.
It is All Fools’ Eve and Nonesuch Hall is preparing for the arrival from London of Charles Marlow, a suitor for Kate Hardcastle. He is accompanied by Hastings, the secret love of Constance, who Mrs Hardcastle wishes to marry to her son Tony Lumpkin. On the way to the hall, Marlow and Hastings stop at a pub and meet Lumpkin. He tricks them into thinking that Nonesuch is an inn, leading them to treat Hardcastle and his wife as common staff. Convoluted misunderstandings and plots follow, with jewel theft, elopement, dunkings and beatings, but everything turns out fine in the end, after lots of wonderful music and belly laughs.
The cast are excellent in their roles. Most notable are Laurel Dougall as Mrs Hardcastle and Emily Peach as Constance – it’s a wonder any scenery is left with these two women on stage, both chewing it up and spitting it out to great comic effect. Jacob Jackson is also wonderful to watch as Lumpkin, playing him as half drunk, half child.
The language and music are lyrical and uplifting, and it is very, very funny. Howard Goodall’s music and Charles Hart’s lyrics are sublime – the awkwardness of Kate and Marlow’s duets is delightfully English, in contrast to Constance and Hastings singing the glorious “Moonraking” – still romantic when sung by the old men! Choreographer Charlotte Tooth has devised a fantastic look for the dancers – the movement when the company give directions to Nonesuch, and the searching scenes are particularly good. The talented musicians accompanied the singing rather than drowned it out, which has happened at the theatre in past productions, which is a blessing as these lyrics are too good to miss, giving a 21st century flavour to an 18th century classic.
This is one of those shows that leaves you grinning and humming all the way home. A delight from start to finish. Go and see it.