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She Stoops to Conquer

Published Tuesday 5 May 2009 at 17:40 by Graham Williams

Mappa Mundi is a company renowned for its earthy, irreverent and wholly accessible approach to the classics and their latest production has to rate as one of the finest to date, peppered as it is with a plethora of verbal and visual gags guaranteed to set one’s chuckle muscles working overtime.

Featuring a nine-strong cast comprised of the cream of home- grown talent - some of whom have worked for companies as diverse as Theatr Clwyd, Birmingham Stage Company and Wales Theatre Company - this is a delightful, rollicking romp with a warmth and freshness that belies the fact that it was originally performed in the 18th century.

This is essentially a comedy of manners in which larger than life characters play out a story of deceit and deception, sparked off by the arrival of two foppish dandies at a house which they falsely believe to be a tavern.

As events unfold, the pace quickens and the laughs come thick and fast - at one point we even get a panto-style gag about the infamous “bendy bus” which is due to arrive in Swansea very shortly - though in fairness this gag may well be dropped at other venues on the tour due to its essentially local appeal.

The performances are universally excellent, with Kathryn Dimery in particular standing out in her role as the shrill Mrs Hardcastle, but there are also some very strong contributions from the rest of the cast including Keiron Self - perhaps best known to TV viewers for his supporting role in the popular sitcom My Family - and Russell Gomer, whose rich vocal tones never fail to delight.

Sean Crowley’s splendidly stark and deceptively simple set is lent a good deal of solidity and depth by the warm and atmospheric lighting design of Ceri James, and director Peter Doran has done an excellent job in melding the old and the new, retaining just enough of the original without losing its appeal to a contemporary audience.

There is an unfortunate misconception that classic theatre can be stuffy and elitist, but this production is nothing of the sort - and judging by the reaction of a very large, mixed and receptive audience on the opening night, I would venture to suggest that this will be setting the box office tills jingling away until it reaches the end of its run on May 30.

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