REVIEW:
She Stoops to Conquer
ENCORE THEATRE CLUB
Bridport Arts Centre


IT may be more than 200 years old, but Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops To Conquer is still as witty as ever and in the safe award-winning hands of Encore Theatre Club has plenty of life left in it yet.

A comedy of mistaken identity, the action follows two young male city sophisticates who travel to the country in search of love.

George Marlow, whose dual personality and utter confusion was brilliantly brought to life by Dewi Lambert, is sent by his father to court Kate the daughter of his good friend Mr Hardcastle.

The other, Hastings, the able Richard Chubb recently seen as D'Artagnan in Burton Brastock, tags along for the journey and plans to elope with the niece and ward of the lady of the house.

On their way to the rural squire's home the pair bump into Hardcastle's frivolous joker of a stepson Tony Lumpkin, a deliciously over the top performance by Jean-Paul Draper, who deliberately misdirects them to the house they seek telling them it is an inn.

Mistaking their host, (the ever trusty John Surry complete with resplendent wig) for a landlord, their behaviour is not what it ought to be, and a merry tale of confusion ensues.

Although brash with the landlord' and witty and amorous with barmaids and serving girls' Marlow is in fact a painfully awkward suitor with the ladies. So clever Kate - another great turn from Andrea Prentice who once again gets to flex her skill at mastering accents - decides to get to know him by playing the role of a barmaid.

Hastings, meanwhile is getting into some trouble of his own as his attempts to runaway with sweetheart Constance (Louisa Hardy in her first role with Encore) are thwarted at every turn by the meddling lady of the house.

Lumpkin's mother, an excellent vulgar and over the top performance by Hilary Bosworth, is determined that her niece and the considerable fortune should go to her son. However, the joker has other plans and teams up with Hastings in the hope that they both get what they want.

These days more used to a faster pace of life the first half seemed to drag a little and could perhaps have done with a little cutting, but this improved after the interval with plenty of passion and hilarity to help the play romp along.

Cast members address the audience as well as each other, which at first felt a little awkward, but some excellent characterisations and farce-like overacting under the watchful eye of director Paul Skelton helped make up for any difficulties.

There were plenty of strong performances too from the supporting cast, who despite in many cases not having a lot to do made every second count, and a simple set and some wonderful costumes added to the overall experience.

Yet another success from Encore with happy endings all round.

CAST: John Surry, Hilary Bosworth, Jean-Paul Draper, Andrea Prentice, Lousia Hardy, Barry Irvine, Dewi Lambert, Richard Chubb, Jim Hoskins, Emma Batchelor, John Haylock, Viv Ironside, John Laurence, Steve Scorey and Lynne Thomas.

PRODUCTION TEAM: Sheila Saddington and Gill Skelton (costumes), Tony Anthony (set design), Stuart Lovell, Sue David, Derek Crocker, Ralph Porbert, John Holmes, John Seogalutze, Rick King, Miles Bell, Sophie McAlister Bell, Stuart Lovell, Dave Swaffield, Pat Tucker, Sandra Brown, Keith Himsworth, Mike Hodge, Patrick Stokes, front of house Colin Sparks and team, raffle Millie Goswell and team.