What: She Stoops to Conquer
Where: Langham Court Theatre
When: To June 25
Rating: 3.5 (out of five)
Whether it be The Beverly Hillbillies or William Shakespeare, the device of misunderstandings leading to outrageous behaviour is one of comedy’s time-honoured tropes. When it works, it can be gut-bustingly funny.
That’s one reason Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer, first performed in 1773, stands the test of time. The play is constructed on a cross-hatch of misunderstandings and trickery so dizzying and quick, it’s like witnessing a merry-go-round operated by a Benzedrine addict.
The central conceit has a young man, Marlow, being gulled into believing he’s staying at an inn. In fact, he’s at the rural mansion of one of his father’s close friends. Marlow behaves as an upper-class gent might at a hotel, demanding dining options, an inspection of his sleeping quarters and hot toddies. Naturally, this enrages Mr. Hardcastle, the home’s owner, who finds his visitor impudent beyond belief.
That’s just one of the Byzantine curves and twists offered in She Stoops to Conquer (a perennial chestnut, partly because it’s studied in colleges and high schools). Langham Court Theatre has cooked up a worthwhile revival benefiting from a strong ensemble cast, fine costumes and clever direction.
The director, Toshik Bukowiecki, has adapted the comedy as a 1920s romp. It’s certainly not the first time this has been done, yet here it works well. Jazz Age exuberance is well-suited to this farcical comedy of manners, in which the younger set dupe the oldsters with the exuberance of Charleston dancers.
The catalyst for many of the shenanigans is Mr. Hardcastle’s stepson Tony, a semi-lovable ne’er-do-well who spends must of his time boozing in the pub. On Thursday night, Jordan Bell, a newcomer to Langham Court, offered a heightened, puckish performance that served to make Tony a comic linchpin.
The big joke with Marlow is that he’s an absolute rake when it comes barmaids and servants, and a nervous mouse when socializing with upper-class women. This dichotomy must be well-defined. The boyish-looking Jason Vikse did not disappoint, although his shy Marlow (stammering, fearful of eye contact, pawing at walls) was more convincing than Marlow the playboy.
Often in community theatre, productions are carried on the shoulders of one or two strong actors. Not so with She Stoops to Conquer, replete with good performers. Marlow’s buddy Hastings is well played by the promising Sean Dillman, also making his Langham Court debut. As Marlow’s love interest Kate, Keeley Teuber navigated the teeter-totter between upper-cruster and Cockney-accented maid with aplomb — a solid and confident performance.
Kudos also go to Randy Parker (Mr. Hardcastle) and Rosalind Coleman (Mrs. Hardcastle). Euphemia MacMurchy showed an understanding of Constance, who’s in love with Hastings, but on this night her turn seemed a touch tentative.
A welcome directorial touch is having little scenarios played out between scene changes. A jolly maid (Beverly Van Druten-Blais) flirts and cavorts during these well-played routines. Designer Don Keith has hatched a functional set with sliding panels. The idea of projecting various scenes using slides is good, although some images were bleached out and focus could have been sharper.
Lisa Leighton’s well-cut costumes are terrific. There’s plenty of attention to detail — ranging from elegant bows to pocket squares and watch-chains — in these 1920s recreations.
For the much of the time, this well-rehearsed She Stoops to Conquer maintained the frothy momentum such comedies require. The entertainment value of this show was apparent in the reaction of a gaggle of teens in the audience, attending as part of a field trip. Most seemed truly engaged by the show. At the end, they burst into enthusiastic applause, as did we all.