The Coach House Theatre is a gem of a studio theatre and Here To There Productions is a gem of a company.
It was always going to be challenging to adapt Molière in a way that engages modern audiences: the RSC’s recent production of Tartuffe chose to relocate the play to an Asian Community in modern-day Birmingham; other productions have fallen into the trap of such crass devices as replacing billets doux with text messaging.
Producer Andrew Whittle and director John Deeth eschew such tawdry tricks and uphold ‘original’ production values which maintain the essence of a Molière production. The staging is a simple arrangement of three baroque doorways but it is extremely effective.
The true star here is, of course, Roger McGough’s inspired adaptation which plays delightfully with the tensions between verse and prose, providing the servant Dubois (Andrew Crase) with some hilarious comic interactions with Alceste (James Parsons). Alceste’s central obession with ‘telling the truth’ in a society dominated by posing and gossiping has a surprisingly apposite feel for the modern audience.
The play’s resolution features declarations of love between Philinte (Morgan Rees-Davies) and Eliante (Monica Nash) alongside short floodlit monologues from Alceste and Celimene (Jasmine Arden-Brown) and achieves a surprisingly high level of emotional engagement for the audience.
All nine actors produce strong and convincing performances, although Andrew Crase’s Dubois threatens to steal several scenes with his excellent comic timing.
Here To There say that they are "dedicated to bringing challenging and entertaining productions to rural theatres" and, on this evidence, their success is resounding.