National Theatre Live: The Beaux' Stratagem

This version of the Beaux is alright if you don't care about accuracy in costuming or music or comic restoration acting style.

The costumes range from the 16th to the 21st century (yes, sometimes on the same person) and are bizarre (I mean in the sense of bizarre textile patterns). I was disappointed by this because I find accuracy more interesting and I find inaccuracy distracting. I found the costuming utterly annoying.

The music was folky-Irishy stuff, completely unlike the popular music of its time, some of which would have easily supplied some great catchy music for this play. It was perfectly enjoyable so long as you forgot you were watching a play from 1707.

Boniface throws away the humour of all of his "as the saying is" lines and Froigard is terribly unclear in his Irish accent. Cherry is miscast - she strains for the flashing keen flirtatiousness demanded by the part - it seems to me that Dorinda and Cherry may have played each other's parts much more effectively. Archer is firmly grounded in the 21st century in affect (as are nearly all of the cast) and is believable as an attractive man, but not as a dangerous rake (ah Paul Freeman, I wish I'd been able to tape your performance of this role way back when - you oozed sexiness in that long red lovelocked wig).

The director does not seem up to the task of making this uneasy comedy comic. The fight scene is silly. The dance scenes are just made-up "folky" choreography. The emphasis on the word "consent" in Mrs. Sullen's last speech was silly and did not make it topical, it just sapped the speech's power.

If you don't care about any of those things, I think you'll really like it, but I do care about all of those things, so I thought it was okay.

'National Theatre Live: The Beaux Strategem' (2015)

Opening thoughts: Am always up for seeing something different to Shakespeare and other theatre standards, and 'The Beaux Strategem' (unfamiliar to me before seeing the production) more than fitted the bill. Something done extremely well. This National Theatre Live production of 'The Beaux Strategem' is a perfect way to get introduced to it, it is not for everybody and it is true it is something of a mishmash and good luck trying to decipher the time period. But a wonderfully entertaining, energetic and charming one. It is very good, very engaging and very accessible, as well as well made and acted. It isn't perfect, but actually the very, very few not so great things are not that major. Not when so much is so good.

Bad things: Amy Morgan is a little bland as Cherry and could have brought out the flirtatiousness more.

Did feel that the music didn't really fit that well, the Irish folk/country style jarring with the mood and more suited for something more whimsical, and overused. Having it played when characters were arguing for example was distracting.

Good things: Can't fault the rest of the cast, which is full of great comic timing, energy and emotional connection. Richard Henders is particularly terrific and Lloyd Hutchinson is suitably genial. Pearce Quigley always has excelled in comedic roles, see his comic Shakespearean roles, and proves it here in a very funny larger than life performance. The writing is incredibly witty and funny throughout and the heart is not lost too. It is especially good in the farcical elements, that manage to not be repetitive or forced.

Even with it being a mishmash of styles and periods, the production still looks great with very elegant costuming and imposing set. The staging is always involving and tasteful, coherence never an issue. It never tries to do too much, with the theatrical element not being too overdone, while never being static, even in the more intimate moments (charmingly done).

Concluding thoughts: In summary, very good.

8/10.