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MOlière’s misanthrope here is a best-selling author in a fancy trouser suit, gender-swapped as Alice and an American in the monstrous form of Sandra P. When an aspiring novelist asks for book advice, Alice tells him to always write “thrilling” books.
Is that what playwright Martin Crimp wants to do here? His current form is as much a rehearsal as his boxing resume Cyrano de BergeracFrench legal documents that he turned into something new, dangerous and yes, very attractive.
This 17th-century remake also injects humor and fun into the human drama, especially in the jittery insecurities Alice feels in her relationship with Stefan (Tom Mison), an actor, magician and former alcoholic who is on purpose for divorce. But it is not like drunkenness.
With over-the-top logic and OTT humor, it’s full of contemporary controversies about feminism, leadership, digital rage, misogyny and the absurd language of “consent” with plenty of acting and bad writing. Not all of these stories seem like one play; bitten but not chewed.
The satirical stuff is hard to pin down. Who is being mocked and why? The production seems to send everyone from gen Zers who talk about their true self to women who oppose misogyny, the latter mainly through Alice. He is angry, we hear, again and again, an unyielding paragon of truth who takes aim at telling the truth on the Internet and in the media. But is he also the holy prig that Alceste defiantly multiplies as in Molière’s play?
And the moral comedy contrasts with the human drama, from the mistrust Alice feels in her relationship with the conflict between Stefan and his ex-wife (Jemima Rooper) and the love between Alice and her best friend, John (Paul Chahidi). In these scenes, the drama is flying, and the return of comedy feels like a distraction. At its best are the performances from O, who bring heart, fire, vulnerability and playtime.
This version incorporates Molière’s subtle nuances into the changing (or self-deprecating?) effects of romantic passion: Alice’s focus on the subtle sincerity of love. “Doesn’t he (Stefan) represent everything you hate?” John asks frantically.
There is a better way Indhu Rubasingham Also on the drawing rooms of Robert Jones, which is characterized by modern sophistication, but on the edge of the baroque of the 17th century. The drawing room goes up in the final moments to be replaced by candles, chandeliers and robes full of noise amidst a sea of black emptiness. It captures a costume party but seems to drift away from reality and towards Molière for professional actors, leaving you thoroughly confused.
As a design it is imperfect but powerful all trying to say about how we live, how we can be different and escape the poison of the digital world. Except, like Molière’s Alceste, no one wants to find a free, honest corner of the world. Alice’s escape from betrayal feels more like a release than a self-appointed exile.
