La Bete is coming! Here are 5 reasons to get excited.
1. Jonanna Lumley
Patsy! Er..Joanna sees Prince Conti become Princess in Matthew Warchus's version, duly whipping her theatre boy to get what she wants. With Lumley and David Hyde-Pierce on board for this 17th century comedy, it's difficult to see how La Bete will disappoint.
2. David Hyde-Pearce
Yes we know DHP is not actually Frasier's brother or Sideshow Bob's brother or that bug in A Bug's Life but all the same, who better to play stuffy Elomire than the man who brought us Niles Crane?!
3. Mark Rylance
Rylance pretty much owned Jerusalem. It may not have been to the production's credit that the rest of the cast were so willing to bend under the weight of such a prodigious actor fortunate enough to have such a brilliant part but he got great reviews. La Bete is his chance to remind us of his versatility and show us a clownish, light-hearted side.
4. We don’t have to take David Hirson so seriously anymore!
When Hirson’s play erupted onto the theatre scene in 1991, its rhyming script, distinct characters and salute to Molière raised expectations, and the playwright was supposed to follow it with a series of wordy comedies for high-brow theatre-goers. He didn’t, and now we get to enjoy this literary gem for the gags that sew together its rich, resonating themes.
5. Comedy of Errors
La Bete is essentially a 17th century comedy with a gaggle of formidable, comical characters that fuel a farcical comedy of errors. It opens up the world of Elomire, a cultured intellectual, whose theatre company is forced by Princess Conti to include a crass street clown called Valere. Valere’s willingness to pander to his audience for applause clashes with Elomire’s integrity, and draws parallels with modern day celebrities hitting the theatre scene with few credible roles to their name. Speaking of a comedy of errors, if you've got five minutes to spare, here's a brilliant Mr Bean-esque example of one here.
La Bete will run at Comedy Theatre from 28th June to 28th August 2010
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