The Stage

The Double Inconstancy

Published Wednesday 27 September 2006 at 11:25 by Pat Ashworth

This early 18th century French comedy is a bit of an oddity, a love story explored through dialogue rather than action and without all the intrigue and complexities that might be expected from a plot of this period. Nothing physical happens on stage at all, bar one brief fight and the writing of a letter and lips don’t even touch.

It has echoes of Cinderella in that a Prince is obliged by law to marry one of his subjects and so disguises himself as a cavalry officer in order to woo the peasant girl of his choice. Silvia is a northern lass with attitude, in love with Harlequin, a northern lad with attitude but they both end up destined to live happily ever after with the wily, bewigged aristocrats who have lured them away.

The fun is in the excellent contemporary translation, relished especially by Kevin Drury as Harlequin in bubble-pricking comments like, “What a load of twaddle!” Sometimes he sounds just like Eric Morecambe. Abby Leamon ably rises to the challenge of the argumentative Silvia but the day is carried by Jonathan Ashley as Trivelin, a butler so comically servile that his knees are permanently bent. His anguished facial expressions are a delight.

The concentrated nature of the dialogue is reinforced by Geraldine Binzel’s majestic set, a period drawing-room with blacked-out views that prevent any distraction. The curtains are tattered and dry leaves have blown in through the partial windows, hinting at decay. Is the whole edifice about to crumble? I’m still not very sure.