This rarely-seen revival of the sparkling comedy by J. M. Barrie is a witty yet poignant romance, set in the early nineteenth century, but with characters that resonate in the modern day. Northern Broadsides gave this evening’s performance at the Dukes, Lancaster.
Director Laurie Sansom has put an original and contemporary twist on what is, literally, a chocolate-box production. Having discovered that the original 1901 play was so popular that Mackintosh named its famous Quality Street chocolates after it – and also nodded to the play in the famous and collectable tins that were decorated with the characters Major Quality and Miss Sweetly – Sansom went further, and factored in 21st century workers from the Quality Street factory that is in Northern Broadsides’ home town of Halifax. At times, an ensemble of actors dressed in white coats and hair nets came on and, in broad Yorkshire commentary, gave their own opinions of the play, using verbatim dialogue taken from real Quality Street workers. Overall, they thought it was a bit like Jane Austen, and generally quite fun. One lady handed out a few chocolates to the audience.
“Miss Sweetly” in the play is Phoebe. In an Empire line gown rather than a crinoline, Phoebe is young, pretty and vivacious when the Napoleonic Wars break out. Fully expecting a proposal from her friend Valentine, she conceals her disappointment when he strides on in full Redcoat uniform – the “Major Quality” character – and announces joyfully that he has just enlisted. He goes off to fight for ten years, and Phoebe, left behind in near-penury, opens with her older spinster sister Susan a small and rather inept school. On Valentine’s return, she is the worn-down old maid schoolteacher – but inside her is still that vivacious young woman, struggling to get out. Disguised as a fictional niece called Livvy, Phoebe attends all the local soldiers’ balls and becomes an outrageous flirt and party girl, who Valentine is dazzled by. How long can she hang onto her disguise for?
This Cinderella story was given real grit and depth, as well as very skilful comedy dynamics, through both Laurie Sansom’s firm touch as a director, and the no-nonsense Yorkshire-accented performances of the cast. Jessica Baglow was intelligent and fiery as Phoebe, switching between her two personas of Miss Phoebe the frustrated teacher and Livvy the incorrigible ingénue with earthy intensity. Dario Coates brought just the right amount of oblivious likeability to Valentine – can anyone really be that unperceptive and unaware? – and seized the revelation scenes of the last act with both hands, giving the production its funniest moments.
Louisa-May Parker was a strong counterpoint to both of them as sister Susan, giving a lovely performance of a very good woman in a very difficult situation, and having to muddle her way through it as best as she can. Out of the ensemble actors, special mentions to Jim English and Alicia McKenzie for their arch performances as the two gossipy Willoughby sisters; John Gully as a series of blustery old soldiers; Sophie Mercell as rival flirting ingénue Charlotte; Gabriel Paul as firmly upright young soldier Ensign Blades; and Claire Hackett as Patty the housekeeper, who finally lost track of the dizzyingly farcical storylines the two sisters were implementing, and whose very public melt-down on the stage brought a generous round of applause.
Designer Jessica Worrall went to town in the ballroom scenes, having the gowns in bright metallic colours that actually looked like Quality Street sweet wrappers. Composer Nick Sagar brought in music with a subtly thumping beat that drove the inner party girl that lurks inside us, and choreographer Ben Wright had his Regency dancers banging their shoes hard on the wooden floor to emphasise it. The inner youth that lives inside the older body was perfectly expressed in this production.
Reviewer - Thalia Terpsichore
on - 3/2/20
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