Explosion of enjoyment

GREED, man’s pursuit of something for nothing - or next to nothing, is at the heart of this rip-roaring centuries old comedy.

Ben Jonson’s 1610 work takes us to plague-riddled London and a house in Blackfriars, which the wealthy owner has left in the ‘trusting’ hands of his butler while he seeks a safe haven in the country.

More fool him, and more fool those who visit the house in his absence in the hope of getting their hands on fool’s gold! After all, a fool and his money are soon parted…

Today we are confronted by many ‘get rich quick’ opportunities - the Lottery, in which the odds of a big win are overwhelmingly enormous and those numerous modern day scams which arrive via our computer e-mails where con-artists seek plausible prey dreaming of turning rags to riches.

Here, in Blackfriars, Jeremy, the butler, becomes Face, working in collaboration with Subtle, the Alchemist (Mark Lockyer) and Dol Common (Siobhan McSweeney), a buxom and loveable tart, to relieve - or rather ‘gull’ - whichever visitor rings the door bell and enters the darkened portals of the absent Lovewit’s house in the hope of having base metals turned into gold by the alchemist.

The ‘house’ is very much a star component of the proceedings. Although we see only one fairly gloomy room - there is still the impression of a host of mysterious rooms behind a drab crimson curtain and other routes off-stage.

It’s a useful tool with visitors following swiftly on each others’ heels, all keen to make their killing as the plot rattles along, and this allows our scheming trio to show how well they work together. Amusingly incorrigible as they collaborated and bickered before their own greed hit the buffers.

Splendid performances too from Tom McCall, as the foppish and flamboyant Kastril, Richard Leeming, as the timidly innocent tobacconist, Abel Drugger, and Hywel Morgan, whose Lovewit clearly has his wits about him when he returns and seizes the chance to dupe the dupers while they were in desperate straits.

However, quite outstanding was Ian Redford’s energetic, randy, viagra-popping knight, the ageing Sir Epicure Mammon, perfection in his pursuit of profit and wealth.

It’s a lovely, frantic comedy - an explosion of enjoyment - which has been made all that more endearing by the efforts of director Polly Findlay - hats off to her for setting it in period, and also playwright Steve Jeffreys’ excellent and considerable revision of the original script which brought about a reduction of nearly 4,000 words - almost a fifth of the play.

They’ve ensured that old matches new - making the comedy relevant to a modern-day audience, and they’ve done it splendidly to provide great fun and entertainment. It’s definitely an extra special night out and prepare for one of the biggest bangs you're likely to hear on stage this year!