The Misanthrope

Written by Molière

Translation by Tony Harrison

Directed by Simon Evans

White Bear Theatre

3 November – 21 November, 2009

A review by James Fritz for EXTRA! EXTRA!

Strong performances, a fantastic translation and some astute direction bring Molière's enigmatic play to life in this production from The Black and White Rainbow Company.

Alceste, one of Molière's most famous characters and the misanthrope of the title, here finds himself modernized as a three-piece suit sporting member of the twenty-first century London literati that spends all his time in the bachelorette pad of the beautiful – and conceited – Célimène. Holding nothing but the utmost contempt for the shallow and pretentious crowd in which he keeps his company Alceste finds himself torn between his unshakeable principles and a burning love for Célimène, the woman who is the embodiment of everything he despises. The contemporary setting works well, for the most part, in allowing the play to serve as an amusing satire on the failings of the modern urban socialite. Though the stage design is rather limited – a couple of posters and a bottle of cava have to make do to represent Célimène’s swanky flat – the overall tone of the production successfully evokes the pace and privilege of the London party scene, as one by one Alceste plays host to an interminable collection of amorous suitors, pretentious poets and lay-about gossips.

Director Simon Evans’ cast boasts strong performances all round, but it is his two leads in particular that shine. Giving mature and impressively precise performances, David Brown and Juliet Crawford excel as the irascible Alceste and his vivacious lover Célimène. The pair conjures up great chemistry, biting on each other’s lines and letting their conversations crackle acerbically back and forth. Brown especially is assigned the play’s hardest task, and rises to the challenge by making the notoriously difficult role of Alceste – so often played either as the fool or the grouch - not only intelligent and principled, but charmingly likeable.

The real star of the show, however, is Tony Harrison’s translation – here receiving its London premiere - which successfully distills the spirit of Molière's playful verse into a rat-a-tat script that is intelligent, witty and frequently melodious. It is a testament to the company that they are more than capable of doing justice to such a fine piece of work, even if the actors do occasionally suffer from a tendency to rush through their lines.

This is, all-in-all, an impressive production of a classic (and often treacherous) play, and Evans should be applauded for his measured and thoughtful direction which makes good use of a difficult space.

Another, more widely publicised, version of The Misanthrope (written by Martin Crimp andstarring Keira Knightley) arrives in the West End this December. I’d advise all those scrambling for tickets to get down to The White Bear and see this great play done very well for a fifth of the price instead.

Box Office: 020 7793 9193

www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk

Ticket Prices: £10-£12

138 Kennington Park Road London SE11 4DJ

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