Tartuffe, adapted by Miles Malleson

Boundary Players

William Penney Theatre, AWE Aldermaston, Tadley

MOLIERE’S 1664 tale of the shameless imposter who ingratiates himself into the Orgon Household and creatures a whirlwind of lies, religious hypocrisy and family feuding, was chosen by Boundary Players for the first play of their 2015/2016 season at the William Penney Theatre.

The play opened with a commanding performance from Pat Archer as Orgon’s mother, resplendent in widow’s weeds as she delivered a blistering dialogue to the rest of the family (and servants) on the decadent ways of Orgon and his family.

This high energy set the tone for the rest of the evening.

Tartuffe, a nicely judged performance from Clive Lewington, wormed his way into the affections of Orgon (Alan Munday) who called off the marriage plans of his daughter (Mariane) in order for her to marry Tartuffe.

Dorine the housemaid saw Tartuffe for what he was - a fake - and Elmire, Orgon’s younger second wife, both had plans to expose him.

There was some highly stylised choreography highlighting the absurd moments of the farce as Elmire hid Orgon beneath the table and then behind her skirts so as to unveil Tartuffe’s true character. This was achieved with great comic effect. Director Michele Middleditch managed to strike the right balance between farcical comedy and fully drawn characters. This was particularly applicable to Lisa Neville as Dorine who was bold in her interpretation and Tiffany Mason (as Mariane), who was captivating with her expressive face which she used to great dramatic effect.

Louise Hayling gave a delightful and confident performance as Orgon’s wife and potential mistress as she tried to get Tartuffe to seduce her, thus proving him to be a liar and hypocrite and not the pious man of God he purported to be or a worthy husband for Mariane.

There were more chuckles than raucous laughter but that was due to the small audience rather than lack of talent or effort from the cast.

This was a great ensemble piece with spirited and energetic performances from the cast.

With elegant set and gorgeous period costumes, this Boundary production was a great credit to producer Andy Abbott (also seen as “An Officer”) and director Michele Middleditch.

Chris Horton