REVIEW: The Hypochondriac – at the Festival Theatre, Malvern, from Monday, November 3 until Saturday, November 8, 2014.

 

WHEN there’s a preamble of amusing songs about germs, drugs and bodily functions, and then an opening scene of a man seated on a commode, it’s pretty obvious that lavatorial humour is likely to be the order of the night.

Thus was the way it was in this vastly updated version of Moliere’s masterpiece and while it may not suit everyone’s sensibilities there is little doubt this is a really funny farce.

Writer Richard Bean appears to have set out to do it all in the best possible taste, well not really, and there were moments when the Malvern audience wasn’t always quite sure it should laugh.

The humour’s not really that far removed from the original of 400 years ago though, so what inhibited times they must have been and it could easily slot alongside the many risqué Whitehall farces of more recent eras.

A gasp here and there, and certainly one or two ‘urrrghs’ - but in general everyone, well we are British, seemed happy to take it all in their stride, and that’s largely due to the efforts and manner of presentation provided by Tony Robinson and co.

Still fondly remembered as Blackadder’s sidekick, Baldrick, in the hugely popular television series, and more recently digging up the past with the Time Team, he was an exceptional Argan. He’s a wealthy Frenchman who fears he is suffering from all manner of ailments but watches every penny spent on what are at best quack cures.

Argan’s prime obsession just happens to be with his daily bowel movements! Cue all manner of below the belt humour as Mr Bean really does go to town and pulls quite a few gems out of the pot!

There’s quality support from Tracie Bennett as the maid Toinette and Imogen Stubbs as Beline along with a string of other fine performances. Toinette is a bundle of bubbly fun as she torments her master while Beline is a brassy scheming blonde willing his imaginary illnesses to be real.

There’s also a splendid interpretation of the soon-to-be doctor but oddball Thomas from Craig Gazey that caught the eye. Meanwhile co-directors Lindsay Posner and Lisa Blair do well in ensuring all the slack is taken up in a lively and entertaining evening.

In some ways its Casualty meets Love Story with a cure for all. Yes, it could all quite easily have gone down the pan but because of the stylish and fairly traditional way such a talented cast responded to and presented this reworking it was instead a Royal flush!

Something of a classic since the 17th century this play could still easily continue to survive without any tinkering but the aim these days is to ensure there are bums on seats – ignoring commodes – in trying to cater for modern tastes with an improvement on the original, but in general this rehash fits the bill.

Now this Theatre Royal Bath production will be heading off to London’s West End once its short tour is over. It’s odds-on it will be warmly received and ought to be marked down as one not to miss.