The Rivals Review The 18th Century Comedy returns home to Smock Alley

Mistaken identity, forbidden love affairs, and even the odd gun fight; The Rivals is made of the farce modern soap operas aspire to reach.  First performed in 1775 at Covent Garden, this comedy of manners never passes up an opportunity to give the audience a laugh at the characters’ expense. When entering the theatre, the stage is reminiscent of a grandmother’s cottage nearly finished its spring cleaning.  Floral upholstery, artful bouquets, and vines twisting around wooden table legs initially create a peaceful, if quaint, environment. But the serene setting is quickly contradicted by the cast of characters who embark on a journey of deceits, battles, and insults that defy all rules of 18th century custom and courtesy.

The Rivals is a whirlwind of socialites crossing paths and creating confusion in each other’s lives at every turn. Wealthy heiress and bookworm Lydia Languish is determined she will only marry a man devoid of wealth in an attempt to drastically disappoint her moralistic aunt Mrs Malaprop. When Jack, an army captain and heir in his own right, develops feelings for Lydia, he pretends to – you guessed it – be a low ranking officer from a nameless family in order to capture Lydia’s heart. At first, Jack’s charade is a major success, but his plan quickly careens off the rails when unforeseen rivals stand in his way.

Leaving the plot aside, the highlight of seeing The Rivals is the incredible acting from the entire cast. Tom Moran hits every comedic note with his stellar portrayal of Jack Absolute. He weaves his way through sequences of deception and seduction with equal confidence, all the while possessing a charming light-heartedness in his not so truthful actions.  Aislinn O’Byrne exudes dedication while she switches quickly between two separate characters, giving a committed and entertaining performance as both.  The formidable Mrs Malaprop is played delightfully by Deirdre Monaghan who manages to keep a straight face while pulling laugh after laugh from the audience. This is achieved as her character continually misuses words that sound like the word she means to use, which often takes on hysterically comical alternate and unintended sentiment.

Despite the play’s engaging humour and high standard of acting, it didn’t quite meet my expectations fully. Behind the laughter and chaos, the plot at times felt lacklustre and predictable. It operates to a certain degree as a series of tropes, employing similar plotlines to Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, and indeed the modern-day soap opera. In its defence, The Rivals predates the latter examples, but still a contemporary audience cannot help but be possessed by a feeling of over-familiarity. Of course, the blame for this cannot be attributed to the team at Smock Alley, where cast and crew alike appear to have dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to the performance.

Rating: ●●●●○

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