Tartuffe, RSC Swan, 5*****: Rod Dungate
Stratford Upon Avon
Tartuffe: Moliere, in a new version by Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto
5*****
RSC, The Swan
Runs 2h 35m, one interval. Till 23 February 2019
@TheRSC
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Review: Rod Dungate, 15 October 2018
Moliere Lives: OK!
What a glorious updating or revisioning of Moliere’s play this is. Let’s let the elephant out of the room – it’s often the case that we go to see Moliere’s plays in the knowledge that they’re funny (books tell us so) but that, in reality, with heavy-handed comedy acting they have all the humour of a lead balloon falling on your head.
Not so, by a million miles, this production. The central family are transported from 17 Century France to 21 Century UK – they are the Pervaiaz family in Birmingham – Pakistani Muslims, real Muslims as the father insists. Into the family Tartuffe is invited, Mr Pervaiz has found this righteous man at the local Small Heath Mosque. (Or indeed, as is more likely, Tartuffe has found Pervaiz.) Mr Pervaiz is convinced his family are becoming too Westernised and he wants them to rediscover their roots.
Within this context Moliere’s set-up becomes totally believable. There is an ever-present sense of the gnashing teeth of Moliere’s satire. This is dangerous, edgy stuff. Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto have created a version of the play that is as excruciatingly painful as it is exhilaratingly funny. And the bonus . . . Real Birmingham accents in the acting-space. It doesn’t get much b better than this.
Not just the accents of course. The acting space is full of gorgeous characters. With huge warmth they welcome us into their chaos; we live with them through their difficulties so that we understand them. We laugh whole-heartedlyn but never at them, always alongside them. Their foolishness is our foolishness.
Driving the family to despair is Simon Nagra as Mr Pervaiz, expansive and vulnerable. Running the roost, if not exactly ruling it, is the deliciously comedic Prevails cleaner, Bosnian Muslim, Darina - Michelle Bonnard. And at the centre, each word carefully enunciated lest he put a word wrong and blow his subterfuge is Asif Khan as Tartuffe.
Iqbal Khan, who directs, chooses a leisurely pace. Nothing is forced and the humour, the pain, the biting satire all emerge naturally.
This is masterful, innovative and a very great treat.
Waqaas: Salman Akhtar
Damee Pervaiz: Rai Bajaj
Amira Pervaiz: Sasha Behar
Darina: Michelle Bonnard
Zairab: Shamia Chalabi
Khalil: James Clyde
Marian Pervaiz: Zainab Hasan
Tahir Raufiq Arsuf (Tartuffe): Asif Khan
PC Raj Kumar: Naveed Khan
Imran Peryaiz: Simon Nagra
PC Tom Parry: Sam Pay
Usman: Riad Richie
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Wells: Vivienne Smith
Pippa: Yasmin Taheri
Dadina Pervaiz: Amina Zia
Director: Iqbal Khan
Designer: Bretta Gerecke
Lighting: Richard Howell
Composer / Music Director: Sarah Sayeed
Sound: Jeremy Dunn
Movement: Shelly Maxwell
| Production Photo: Topher McGrillis (c) RSC |
(Credits will follow)