Romantic intrigue and witty humor pervade the revival of this comedic classic, and I could not find one weak point in the production. While the text and acting drive the performance, the simplistic courtyard set, period costumes, and Baroque style music to accompany the scene changes truly transport us back to 1775 Bath.
Peter Bowles and Penelope Keith excel in their respective roles, and expertly strike a balance between speaking to their fellow characters and engaging the audience with their witty remarks. Credit is also due to Peter Hall for his masterful direction and coaching on the comedic timing with which the words are read. Each character has a distinctive personality mannerism: Mrs Malaprop with her erronious words, Mr. Absolute threating to go into a "frenzy", and Mrs. Lydia Languish with her intense over-dramatization of each word she speaks. These traits bring the old-fasioned characters to life, and are executed beautifully.
I believe the production was a stunning success in every aspect, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
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