views from the gods

saints and sinners of the stage and screen

Tartuffe
The Space
11th October 2014

★★★★☆

The ensemble of Tartuffe

Photography provided by The Space

If the internet had been around in the 17th century, you can bet that Tartuffe (John Fagan) would have been diligently writing phishing emails and trying to flog Acacia berries and cheap Viagra. The subject of Molière's play, known as both Tartuffe and L'imposteur, is a silver-tongued con artist. And there certainly is an art to Tartuffe's antics; the skill with which he persuades Orgon (Tom Cornish) to part with his cash, his friendship and even his daughter, Mariane (Madeleine Leslay), really is quite impressive.

This is an English adaptation by Paul Webster, set in 1920s Louisiana during the Prohibition. With the norm being churchgoing in public and moonshine in private, this two-faced period is a clever choice of setting for such a tale of hypocrisy, secrets and lies, with the extra nod to its French past. There's been a real trend this season for plays at The Space to perfectly fit the venue, and this one is no exception. The building's religious history adds an extra dimension.

"This house is a veritable... tower of Babylon!" declares Madame Pernelle (Diana Brooks) at the start of the play; the only character to retain a French accent. If it wasn't for her, and for the names of the characters, it would be hard to tell this is a French classic. And a classic it is, so tweaking the script is a bold move, but Webster manages to repurpose the script without losing any of its original intent or comedy. It's not a straight translation yet sometimes that's better when it comes to foreign language plays. Director Chris Lawson uses a lot of very crude physical gestures throughout, but that's about the right level of sophistication for a Molière piece.

John Fagan as Tartuffe

Photography provided by The Space

The farcical elements of the plot are brought out brilliantly by Dorine (Philippa Tatham). At times she chases after the other members of Orgon's household, literally pulling and pushing a squabbling Valère (Damian Cooper) and Mariane. Tatham's Irish accent is a little ropey in places, but this is forgiveable due to how downright funny she is. Whenever it's her turn to speak, she has us in stitches, but when she's in the background, propping up the bar and/or doing a spot of housework, just a single glance or expression from her has us chuckling again. It's also worth mentioning Norma Butikofer for her take on the infamous honeypot scene as Orgon's wife Elmire.

Kaidi Williams dresses the women in plenty of black lace, glitter and beads, ramping up the seduction while tacitly bringing up issues of consent and gender politics. Conversely, some of the set dressing is rather obvious - the photos of Tartuffe framed in a cross formation - but it works well nonetheless. Musical director and composer Odinn Orn Hilmarsson provides a live jazz soundtrack which complements Williams' sense of glamour.

We start off with a rendition of Down in the River to Pray, with the cast saying hello and making small talk. This is a lovely touch, but the problem with initially breaking the fourth wall and then firmly putting it back in place with cement is that we get a glimpse of what could have been. I always feel it's best to either keep that wall up throughout, or make a production fully immersive.

Given how much we enjoyed The Comedy of Errors, it's no surprise that Amo Theatre's take on Tartuffe is similarly packed full of humour. It's a French farce which may not be that French any more, but remains bloody hilarious, and has plenty of style.

Tartuffe ran from 7th to 25th October 2014 at The Space.

Nearest tube station: Mudchute (DLR)



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