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Presented by Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre and JQ Productions in association with the National Theatre Studio.
MoliËre or The League of Hypocrites
By Mikhail Bulgakov
Directed by Blanche McIntyre
Finborough Theatre
24 November – 19 December 2009
A review by James Fritz for EXTRA! EXTRA! Jean-Baptiste MoliËre is on top of the world. A favourite of the court of Louis XIV, he is responsible for hit after hit at the Palais Royal. Yet as the great writer drifts towards old age, his religious satire Tartuffe angers the establishment and eventually undoes everything he has worked for. Bulgakov’s play, written at the height of Stalinist Russia, details the struggle of an artist to keep his integrity under the pressure of a tyrannical regime. In a post-Sachgate Britain where all but the most docile writer often find their hands tied, the subject matter could not be more timely. Director Blanche McIntyre – the inaugural recipient of the Finborough’s Leverhulme Bursary for Emerging Theatre Directors – has succeeded in distilling the corruption and hypocrisy of both Bulgakov’s Russia and MoliËre’s France into an entertaining and decadent revival, the first in London for twenty-five years. This is a production that is unafraid to go for broke; there are big performances and even bigger costumes on display throughout, a tactic that, for the most part, is engaging rather than off-putting. Though farce and humour are an integral part of the play, this is ultimately a piece of drama with a very serious point to make and each of the weighty themes and allusions are given appropriate attention. Both McIntyre’s accomplished direction and Michael Glenny’s translation allow the broader satirical moments of Bulkagov’s riposte to Stalinist censorship enough room to breathe alongside the serious narrative, ensuring that the play’s bold support of artistic freedom rings out clearly. Alex Marker’s design is wonderful, transforming the modest space of the Finborough into a version of 17th century Paris that oozes excess in every way. We are whisked impressively between backstage at the Palais-Royal to the court of King Louis via the caverns of Notre Dame, an unmoved proscenium arch dominating each scene and serving as a constant reminder that this is, at its core, a play about theatre. The atmospheric and unnerving scene in a leaky and echoing church crypt stands out as a particularly immersive triumph. The performances from the company are brash yet convincing. Justin Avoth enthuses his MoliËre with a charming wit and arrogance right to the last, when, his career in tatters, he meets his death onstage to a chorus of boos and jeers. This is a strong portrayal of a man struggling for artistic greatness amid impossible circumstances Gyuri Sarossy’s whimsical King Louis lends an appropriately arbitrary callousness to his affections, whilst there is good work from Antonia Kinlay and Paul Brendan as MoliËre’s young lover and faithful foil respectively. Ultimately the boldness and intelligence of Bulgakov’s message will stay with you long after leaving this enthralling production, as good a demonstration as any that a deft directorial touch can often allow a grand theatrical statement to achieve greater clarity within the intimacy of a small-scale theatre.
Box Office: 0844 847 1652 http://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/ Ticket Prices: Tickets £13, £9 concessions, except Tuesday Evenings £9 all seats, and Saturday evenings £13 all seats. Finborough Theatre
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