Thieves' Carnival

Synopsis

Holidaying in the Riviera, two aristocratic young women are wooed by two delicious young men. It transpires that the lads are part of a gang dedicated to alleviating the rich of their wealth. Whilst they and their criminal mentor are dressed incognito as a Spanish Gentleman, a Grandee and an ecclesiastical secretary, the girl's guardian, a rich and unpredictable woman mistakenly recognises them as old friends and invites them to stay with them. The farce that follows is rich in humour accompanied by a score influenced music hall and silent movies.

Our Review:

26 July 2005

With the first act set in the Watermill’s garden and using the theatre’s trademark actor/musicians, Andy Brereton’s stylish production of Jean Anouilh’s early comedy should be the perfect summer show.

The play follows the exploits of three inept thieves who pose as Spanish noblemen in order to steal from an English aristocratic family, only to find that their true identity is known all along. The play is set in the spa town of Vichy, France, and two beautiful young heiresses provide bait for both the trio of thieves and a pair of merchant adventurers; but things become serious when one girl falls in love with a young thief.

Anouilh uses Carnival disguise as a metaphor for how people hide their true selves to appear something they are not. While his later plays are marked by a harsh interaction of the world of romantic dreams and reality, there’s a more gentle collision in this early offering.

Garry McCann’s elegant exterior set and equally stylish interior, ...

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