The Triumph of Love

Synopsis

A sparkling erotic comedy of mistaken identity, double dealing and passions unspoken. At the heart of the play is the brilliant young Princess Leonide, a bewitching seducer who assumes several different personas - male and female - to ensure that love conquers all.

Our Review:

17 April 2003

Marivaux's artful exploration of the power of love was a success at the Court of Louis XV. It's set in a distant time and place - a garden in Sparta to rival Shakespeare's wood near Athens - the names changed not so much 'to protect the innocent' as to protect playwright and players from any accusation of playing politics.

In a plot that also rivals Shakespeare for labyrinthine twists, Princess Leonide disguises herself as a young nobleman to win the heart of Agis, heir of the erstwhile ruling family her father deposed. He's been hidden away and educated since boyhood by the austere philosopher Hermocrate and his sister Leontine, protected from the power of both the princess and the flesh. Leonide intends to restore Agis to the throne and place herself in his power as his wife, a plan that would have raised eyebrows in the cynical society of 18th-century Paris. To achieve this, she sets out to seduce brother and sister, aided both by their servants, sweetened with lavish ...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com (193.118.203.3) - 2 May 2003:

Anna Hewson is a major star. She commands sympathy for Princess Leonide despite the character's selfish manipulation. Don't take it all too seriously though..this is a delicious romp, just right for our glorious spring evenings (if you're lucky)....

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