A rare visit to the theatre on a Thursday on my own. Janie hates Restoration comedy but I had (and at the time of writing, more than 10 years later, still have) an idea for a very thorough updating of one of those Restoration plays, so I very much wanted to see this modern production of a Restoration classic.
I thought it was very well done. Rory Kinnear was exceptional, as was most of the cast, including Alleyn’s alumna Nancy Carroll.
This was before Nick Hytner found his way off my Christmas card list by forgetting where his loyal audience comes from and becoming far too much of a jobsworth cum corporate lick-spittle when running the National. So hats off to him in this regard – Hytner can direct.
I rated this production very good indeed at the time, but it was not the sort of modernisation of a Restoration play which I have in mind…
…which is a good thing…
…if I ever get around to implementing my own cunning plan. But I digress.
Click here for a link to a search term that finds the reviews, which were mostly good but not great.
Below is the trailer, which is really quite snazzy without giving away much about the show. It has a fair smattering of Nancy Carroll, which might please my fellow Alleyn’s alums…or indeed anyone who watches the vid:
I was in a student production of Man of Mode at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in 1982, though I’ve no idea who I played. Not a very big part. The lead role (is that Dorimant?) was an ex-fireman called Dino Loddo.