In 1925, when Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels was first staged, it was a succès de scandale. The Lord Chancellor, London’s theatre censor, barely approved it; a woman protested against it in the theatre; and the Burgomaster of The Hague shut the production down entirely. A century later, the shock value has largely faded. Women having premarital sex, perhaps sharing a lover, and then getting drunk together and comparing experiences are no longer considered to be quite as scandalous. Yet if the shock of Fallen Angels has largely vanished, its humour endures, along with Coward’s satirical targets: the double standard of expectations for men’s and women’s behaviour, the challenge of sustaining passion in long-term relationships, and the persistent hypocrisy surrounding sexual conduct. The work was one of Coward’s early successes, and the play bears the marks of the playwright’s developing craft. The drunkenness scene is pushed to its limits, while the use of comic devices, such as the overly clever servant, draws on a tradition stretching back to Menander and Plautus. Nevertheless, in this latest production Director Christopher Luscombe manages to make the piece seem fresh and relevant. He creates a delightful comic soufflé. The show is light, airy and perfectly paced, and Fotini Dimou’s costumes manage to impeccably catch the appropriate flapper flair. However, what really makes it all work is the impeccable comic timing of Janie Dee and Alexandra Gilbreath. As the aging coquettes who contemplate the revival of youthful passion, the two are a joy to watch as they draw every possible laugh from Coward’s sharp dialogue. Fallen Angels remains a comic confection that continues to charm after a century.
Rated: ★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Manuel Harlan
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