Cyrano de Bergerac

By Robert Iles - 10th May 2007

Edmond Rostand's 1897 play "Cyrano de Bergarac" is one of the great stories - redone time and again in play, musical, ballet, opera and film form. The eponimous anti-hero is a drunken, brawling, beligerent man beleagured by a huge nose but with wit and a strength of purpose that makes us envy him. Cyrano falls deeply in love with his cousin, Roxanne, but is too frightened of rejection to pursue her - then into their lives falls a handsome, but witless, man - one Christian - and the game is on. Roxanne and he fall in love by sight but he has "no way wit hthe laides" and she has no truck with dullards, so what to do? Obviously Cyrano will feed Christian wit hthe lines and the letters he needs to secure Roxanne's love (what else!). This he does with such success that Roxanne eventually realises that she has fallen for the man inside, not the looks ... ooops ... to tell you more will spoil it, that's if you don't already know it of course. An excellent story, a real "tale to tell" that leavs you delighted, saddened and just alittle wiser on the topic of love.

Ranjit Bolt's new translation is a delight ... written in 10 sylable couplets throughout, trips off the actors tongues and delights throughout - carrying the passion, anger, love and comedy inherent in the original and adding its own modern, accessible, twist. Very easy to listen to, to laugh with and capable of bringing one to tears. SImply staged and well paced this is a most enjoyable production though it perhaps needs a bit more 'edge' at times. Robert Bowman plays a superb Cyrano, surely one of the trully great male parts for stage, an enviable talent whose final scene was a real piece of memorable theatre. And, to the delight of the audience, an entire cast with class, style and ability, no weak links, no "oh I wish they hadn't done that" moments and clear characterisations from those doubling. Zoe Waites Roxanne worried me a little at first but that soon evaporated leaving me utterly convinced that here was a character who could engender such devotion and commitment. One thing I would say ... believe in the pastry chefs, go for it guys its a delightful interlude and should be played to the hilt!

A most enjoyable evening

In its integrity lies its panache ....