Tuesday 9 May 2017

The Miser - Garrick Theatre

The lead role in this comedy drama is played by Griff Rhys Jones. Harpagon, convinced that everyone around him is trying to steal his riches, becomes obsessed with protecting his wealth. This impacts directly on the love lives of his son and daughter as he arranges marriages for them designed to add to his (stored up, not to be spent) fortune. The gags in this play are thick and fast - a little too much so and his daughter’s (Elise) squeaky voice drove me to distraction. There is some interaction with the audience, which in opinion seemed misplaced and cheesy (especially the ‘hint’ regarding the play getting a 5 star review) and even some of the mishaps that are funny the first time loose their ‘laugh effect’ when repeated several times over. The staging cleverly shows the miser’s refusal to spend anything of house repairs; there’s a large crack in one of the walls and bits fall occasionally from the ceiling. Despite several over-the-top cahracters the production is energetic and instills the desire to find out just how this farce would end.

The Miser can be seen @ Garrick Theatre  until 3rd June 

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