Sheridan buff Amanda Gegg finds Deborah Warner's slick contemporary adaptation checks all the boxes.
As an avid reader of eighteenth-century literature, I jumped at the chance to see Sheridan’s The School For Scandal brought back to life at the Barbican Theatre. And what a treat it was to find out that this particular version, directed by Deborah Warner, embraces a twenty-first century setting with a few modern social faux pas’ thrown. I'm talking overt drug use, explicit sex scenes and a soundtrack to rival any London club.
At the start, the audience are invited to a pre-show catwalk which can only be described as an explosion of twenty-first Century culture (picture an East London art studio and you’re pretty much there). It incorporates notorious quotes from the play like “nothing but infamy to depend on” but makes the production totally accessible from the outset.
The success of the beginning owes a lot to the set and lighting which are both outstanding. As each scene changes, the movement of the set and changes in the lighting are wholly unpredictable. The bold division of the intricate scenes that make up the show play a big role in reiterating the drama and intrigue which is the basis of the plot.
But in this play, plot means little without a cast of hilarious and ridiculous characters to enjoy the gossip and spread the lies. Amongst this cast are the likes of Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd), whose tone and style perfectly underline the comedy. Another stand out performance is that of Leo Bill in the role of unlikely hero Charles Surface. His success is largely to do with his astute portrayal of the gross overzealousness of the time. And in this respect the audience seems to warm to Charles, mostly because his presence on stage bares a strong resemblance to a scene from ‘The Young Ones’.
Deborah Warner's risky production of The School For Scandal pays off brilliantly simply because it sticks to depicting the trials and tribulations of society as issues that are fundamentally not that different to today. This production is well worth watching, and well worth a gossip with your friends afterwards!
The School for Scandal runs at The Barbican until 18th June.
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