Aristocrats

Synopsis

A family gathers for a wedding at the ancestral home in County Donegal, its crumbling edifice testimony to an opulent way of life that's all but finished. As the accusations and demands of their dying father ring out, his wayward, volatile offspring find consolation in reinventing wild and bohemian stories of the big house in its heyday.

Our Review:

13 July 2005

There are many fine elements to Tom Cairns’ revival of Aristocrats, written in 1979 by Irish Chekhov Brian Friel, but there is one whose sheer brilliance outshines all else. Andrew Scott’s performance as Casimir, the feeble only son of a dying district judge, is nothing short of astounding.

Scott won an Olivier Award for his performance in A Girl in a Car with a Man, which I missed, at the Royal Court Upstairs (See News, 20 Feb 2005). On the basis of what I witnessed last night at the National, I’d like to rewind for a second chance to see that award-winning turn – and also fast-forward to catch what I’m sure are going to be many more prize-worthy performances in a, hopefully, meteoric career for this young actor.

In Aristocrats, Scott’s character has returned to his crumbling ancestral home (also designed by Cairns) after an 11-year absence to attend his youngest of three sisters’ wedding and, as i...

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Latest User Review

81.138.55.224) - 25 August 2005:

I don't understand the comments from some of the reviewers. And people leaving early? It's beyond me. What a wonderful play, moving from laugh-out-loud funny to heartbreaking in one sentence. The acting was excellent throughout, with of course Andrew Scott as Casimir the real stand-out. I'm hoping to see it again before it finishes....

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