Synopsis A beautiful, independent and feisty young woman inherits an inn and is immediately surrounded by fawning men, including a mean-fisted Marquess, a coarse Count and a sex-starved servant. Bored with the attention and yearning for an honest husband, Mirandolina rises to the challenge of persuading a woman-hating wag how to love women - with surprising consequences. This fast-paced Italian farce combines concealed identities, suppressed feelings and virtuous insights into the world of love.
As the end of the Royal Exchange Summer season approaches the theatre company must have thought “farce set in Italy - should please the punters” without actually considering the quality of the production. On paper, granted, this tale of a beautiful independent and feisty Inn keeper and her troupe of adoring men does appeal as an escape route from football, tennis and reality TV. But somewhere along the way this supposedly hot, passionate story has been served up cold and stodgy.
Originally written in 1753 by Carlo Goldoni, Mirandolina has been transposed to the 1920's. This is not a problem as the main character is a timeless creature fully aware of her sexuality and the affect she has on men. But thrown into the mix also are some ill conceived musical numbers. The poor cast does not truly know how to convey these songs although they valiantly try. Raquel Cassidy sings like Victoria Wood - which would be fine in Acorn Antiques but here it does not highlight her character's alluring nature; instead it exposes the play's many flaws.
Matthew Kelly plays the next spellbound suitor very well, complete with dumbfounded look and awkward movements. You only wish this gifted actor was rewarded with better material. For all the talk of Italy, you are treated to a variety of accents including Welsh, Irish and stiff upper lip British. In fact the only true sense of the Rivera is available in the form of bottled lager at the bar.
Mike Britton's evocative set design does provide the audience with a rustic look at how these lustful characters live their lives and one superbly realised dance scene with white sheets as props illuminates the piece. But it is a bad case of too little too late. Jonathan Munby's muddled direction consists of many rushed scenes involving lots of screaming shouting but very little in terms of narrative drive. This simply irritates and distracts you from seeing anything worthy of applause.
Neither a farce nor a musical, this dish is overcooked rather than half baked and not really of the high calibre one comes to expect from the Royal Exchange. With the 30th Anniversary season beginning in September, you can only hope that a return to form is imminent.
I didn' submit a negative review to 'make better reading'. I have only walked out of three plays during the interval. Whats the point of staying for the second half if you couldn't care less about the characters and didn't want to spend any more time watching something that is third rate? As for boring old plays being updated - I saw She Stoops to Conquer (also at the Royal Exchange) and it was absolutely briliant - loved every minute. - 193.61.255.84)
24 Jul 06
It,s so easy to be negative when submiting a review, makes for better reading. don,t listen to th jumped up luvvies, they,ve seen too many plays anyway. it's a well presented and casted piece of harmless adaptation with rusticaly impressive sets and wonderfully poignant music.
give it a chance. - 86.135.19.100)
20 Jul 06
I saw the show on press night and thought it was a welcome break from the starchy and often far too self loved work often at the exchange. It was fun and fresh with bright, energetic performances which wisked us the audience up in to a frenzy of zest and excitment. Add to that some songs, comedy staging and dance and I felt you got a trully well packaged night of entertainment which I would recommend to anyone who really wants to see a great modern version of a starchy 18th century play. - 86.31.111.236)
14 Jul 06
Oh dear. This production is quite dire and unfunny. Overacting aplenty, crass direction go to make a hyperactive, over the top mismash. Once you could be sure of seeing a decent production at the Exchange, but those days seem to be ancient history. Very disappointing! - 62.6.139.13)
13 Jul 06
Very poor and unfunny play, poor acting the whole thing was misconcieved, another notch in the Royal Exchange's ever downward trend. This used to be a great company, no longer so! - 62.6.139.13)
13 Jul 06
I'm really surprised by both the review and Zebra's comment. I loved this show! I thought it was original, clever, beautifully designed and staged and wonderfully acted. Very original - funny but also intelligent in its reading of an unfamiliar play. I was at the press night last night. Usually audiences are stiff as a board on press nights all over the country - not this one. They loved it and gave it a great send off. Yes its a dark production but the last time I spoke to an Italian they complained that Italian productions of Goldoni are always too light. I recommend this show to anyone. - 195.93.21.106)
11 Jul 06
I walked out during the interval! I thought I was going to see an Italian flavoured comedy but this play is short on laughs and has no italian feel about it whatsover (apart from an accordian player who appeared from time to time!) I saw a marvelous play called All the Ordinary Angels (also at the Exchange Theatre) which was about Italians in Manchester running an ice cream business - this is how it should be done. But the Mirandolina cast never bothered to adopt italian accents - for instance the Count was a stammering upper class twit with a posh British accent, the servant/handyman had a strong Irish accent and one of the hotel guests was very broad Welsh! Im not a prude but I was expecting a gentle romantic comedy and what we got was a feeble script, terrible acting, awful singing and the odd swear word thrown in for laughs. I don't mind swear words if they are appropriate to the story. Also the sight of two girls rolling around and heavily suggesting lesbianism is not the sort of thing for a matinee! There was a family with a young girl of about 6 and they were quite embarrased by this. Most normal productions modify there scripts between matinee and evening. The advertising blurb suggested a gentle romantic comedy with music - its not fair on families not to warn that its a bawdy comedy. - 193.61.255.85)
St Ann's Square Manchester Greater Manchester M2 7DH
Telephone
0161 833 9833
Station
Description
Closed by Manchester bombing 1996. Reopened Dec 1998 with a new 120 seat studio space added. Seats 750. Founding sponsor of The Studio - Selfridges and Co.
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