The Count of Monte Cristo

Synopsis

Edmund Dantes is looking pretty: young, in love and newly promoted Captain of his own ship! But when greed and envy conspire to throw him into a lifetime of jail for a crime he didn't commit, all seems lost. Facing an eternity of darkness and solitude, Dantes must dig deep to find the strength to escape and seek his revenge - he must find new steel within his soul - he must become The Count of Monte Cristo.

Our Review:

21 April 2010

Alexandre Dumas’ novel is a hefty one. We know so, because there are copies of it plonked on the table next to the programmes at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. It’s also not technically a novel, but started life as a serialised novel, which puts the 1200 pages into perspective. Somewhat. No doubt that’s something we’re meant to be aware of before this production of The Count of Monte Cristo, the world premiere of a new version by Joel Horwood, begins.

The basic plot is ostensibly a simple revenge tale: on the eve of promotion to Captaincy and engagement with his childhood sweetheart Mercedes, young sailor Edmond Dantes, here played by Daniel Rigby, is wrongly incarcerated in an oubliette (those who have seen David Bowie’s fantastic film Labyrinth might get this without explanation; for those who haven’t, it’s a secret dungeon where you send people that you’d like to be eternally forgotten). After thirteen potentially soul-destroying years, during which he learns ...

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