Adding to his impressive revamping of historical plays, Richard Bean, alongside co-writer Oliver Chris, has struck gold again with his fresh reworking of Sheridan’s 1755 comedy “The Rivals” to bring us the comedy delight “Jack Absolute Flies Again”, writes Carolyn Hart Taylor.
Located this time during World War Two, audiences are greeted with idyllic green rolling hills framing the impressive Malaprop Hall where Mrs Malaprop (Caroline Quentin) resides. Quentin’s playing of Mrs Malaprop has elements of Abigail’s Party & Mrs Bouquet, lightening wartime events when offering to ‘show us around her piles’. Quentin shines, naughtily sending up the aristocracy with endless misappropriations and innuendos, whilst later recapturing her risqué young dancing days by impressively re-enacting the splits.
Upon her green lawns sit the Royal Air Force base, around which the story unfolds, audiences being introduced to a host of characters playing fighter pilots, including central figure Jack Absolute (Laurie Davidson), warring as much with the Germans as for the heart of Lydia Languish who tells him, ‘I may have found you mildly amusing once, Jack, like a pickled onion in the shape of a bum’!
Female emancipation and class are comically sent up with Lydia (Natalie Simpson) quipping ‘They don’t trust women with ammunition, scared we might press the wrong tit’. Being obliviously ignorant of her reliance on her maid Lucy, she asks Dudley (Kelvin Fletcher) to ‘Sit with me, Dudley, and tell me what it’s like to be poor in the North’.
Impressive visual imagery leaves us feeling like nostalgic spectators to World War Two, nervously watching incredible aerial bombardments soaring above a blackened sky. Sophisticated special effects furthers the entertainment by adding another layer to events on ground level.
Even Peter Forbes’ portrayal of the irate Sir Anthony Forbes barking, ‘Be quiet – I’m shouting’, is managed through humour, adding to the ridiculousness of class expectations.
Kerry Howard rocks as the cockney maid. Nobody’s fool, sharply knowing Yeats from Shakespeare, her intelligence is put to use plotting events, and whilst cheekily sharing the gossip she declares, ‘That’s the magic of Theatre’!
“Jack Absolute Flies Again”, is a soaring success.
National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 until Sept 3rd. Times: Mon-Sat 7.30pm; matinees Wed & Sat 2pm. Admission: £20 – £89.
Booking: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk – 020 3989 5455
