She Stoops to Conquer - Orange Tree

[Dave B]

Second preview this evening and while it is still working out a couple of minor kinks/flubs, I spent the 2h35m pretty much with a grin on my face. A tiny bit on the slow side but so much fun and a cast clearly up for it, reactions and faces when backs are turned. Freddie Fox is wonderful and Tanya Reynolds is an absolute delight. More than worth a trip out to Richmond. Strong 4 stars.

[tmesis]

I found this a bit turgid tonight. The cast is generally solid and Freddie Fox is fantastic - easily the best thing in the production. Greta Scacchi was miscast as Mrs. Hardcastle. I liked the updating and it was all stylishly done but it all felt like it was trying too hard.

[Dave B]

Nov 21, 2023 0:00:49 GMT tmesis said:

Greta Scacchi was miscast as Mrs. Hardcastle.

On that, we can agree

[foxa]

Heads up for anyone who can't attend that are doing a online screening of it in January.
orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/she-stoops-to-conquer-ot-on-screen/

[theatrefan77]

I had a great time watching this. Both Freddie Fox is and Tanya Reynolds are wonderful. Hope to catch it again before it closes

[Steve]

I enjoyed this loads this afternoon. I love the way Tom Littler has made it festive and Christmassy without altering the text much.

Freddie Fox, Tanya Reynolds, David Horovitch and Richard Derrington are very funny.

Some spoilers follow. . .

The production is set in 1930, so there is a car instead of a carriage, a Christmas tree, and there are some added exclamations of "golly" and "gosh," for the city characters, retaining the original "zounds" for the country characters, which makes David Horovitch's marvellous old grump feel even more left behind by time, with the best Victor Meldrew style comic timing since Richard Wilson retired from the role.

The production as a whole is genuinely funny, much funnier than the Max Stafford Clark National production and about as funny as the Jamie Lloyd National production, with Tanya Reynolds and Freddie Fox giving Katherine Kelly and Harry Hadden-Paton a run for their money in the mirth stakes.

Where the production really carves it's own path is the Christmas theme, with the tree and snow, and the interval and ending singing and dancing sessions, which just feel so uplifting. Guy Hughes's Tony Lumpkin gives great interval entertainment, as an actor-singer-musician, and really shines in a community scene, where the production includes members of the local community supplementing the actors, to give much greater production value (and communal warmth) than you'd normally see at this venue.

The subplot, about hard to get jewels, isn't as funny as the main plot, about how Fox is only confident with women in the class beneath him lol, but that's on Goldsmith, not this lot, cos Sabrina Bartlett is infectiously effervescent in bringing the subplot to life.

Freddie Fox gives terrific comic nervousness, like Clark Kent before a Superman reveal; Tanya Reynolds gives mischievous maid dress up seduction that is a comic topper for the production; and Richard Derrington's Diggory, channeling the fumbling waiter from "One Man Two Guvnors," is so funny you want more of him.

For me, this is 4 stars of festive fun, that really rings true, as well as funny, in its depiction of Fox's character's confidence being turbo-boosted when he isn't so scared of the status of the woman he's with.

[Jan]

You remind me that the NT have done this play 3 times on the South Bank. The first was with Tom Baker and Dora Bryan as the Hardcastles and they were very funny.

[theatrefan77]

4 stars from The Guardian

www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/nov/23/she-stoops-to-conquer-review-the-orange-theatre-london

[lynette]

I’m just thinking how clever to schedule this over the Xmas holiday period. RSC take note.

[smallperson]

Nov 23, 2023 20:22:55 GMT Jan said:

You remind me that the NT have done this play 3 times on the South Bank. The first was with Tom Baker and Dora Bryan as the Hardcastles and they were very funny.

And my friend Julia as Kate (before she turned up a couple of years later as Dr Baz in Casualty!)!

[Jan]

Nov 25, 2023 15:45:44 GMT lynette said:

I’m just thinking how clever to schedule this over the Xmas holiday period. RSC take note.

I hope you’re seeing this ? 4*

[pws]

Dec 5, 2023 22:15:35 GMT Jan said:

Nov 25, 2023 15:45:44 GMT lynette said:

I saw this. At least 4*

[Jan]

Dec 6, 2023 10:44:36 GMT pws said:

Dec 5, 2023 22:15:35 GMT Jan said:

I saw this. At least 4*

I see most of the main newspaper reviews were 4* and the Telegraph was 5* (which I can't agree with) and it has totally sold out and for the first time I can ever remember they are selling standing tickets. That generates its own positive feedback loop for a comedy as the audience turns up already expecting to have a good time. Hypocritically having criticised the RSC for the same practice I thought using community extras here worked brilliantly. Anyway, my point is that restoration comedies like this can be popular successes and the RSC and NT, who used to do lots of them to this same standard or better in their smaller venues, should take note.  

[marob]

Really enjoyed this yesterday. I wish we got more stuff like this closer to home.

If/when I go there again must remember to never book another high seat though, barely fit in it. Wasn’t able to stop for the post-show Q&A, don’t trust the trains enough to get me back into central for my evening show (King Lear, a less successful stab at a classic.) Tom Littler was in the bar on the way out so assume it was with him. Took an age to get out of there. People who make jokes about the crowd at Chichester should try a midweek matinee at the Orange Tree.

[pws]

Dec 8, 2023 9:05:59 GMT marob said:

If/when I go there again must remember to never book another high seat though, barely fit in it.

Upstairs is great if you can get one of the seats on a corner, or even end of row. It's nice to look down on the action, even if you may miss an odd bit.

But it is a cosy theatre generally.

[Jan]

Dec 8, 2023 9:05:59 GMT marob said:

Really enjoyed this yesterday. I wish we got more stuff like this closer to home.

Tom Littler was in the bar on the way out so assume it was with him. Took an age to get out of there.

I didn’t see him when I was there and it surprised me, I can’t remember the last time I saw something he directed here or at Jermyn Street when he wasn’t there, and often he’ll be there for other plays that he didn’t direct. He is very approachable too - it is good PR. I never saw Paul Miller (who I also like) all the time he was there.

[showgirl]

I was at yesterday's busy matinee and thought this was absolutely fantastic. From early comments I'm sure it has bedded in now and that my impression benefited from that, but not only was it the best production I've seen at the OT for ages (reminded me of what to me are still the good old days under Sam W, when I wanted to see everything & every production was well done and worth seeing) and like a great seasonal alternative to panto. I had seen several versions of it before, but none for some years and don't recall any of those being so hilarious. I laughed so much and when I wasn't actually laughing, I was beaming. Having seen this, I wish it had been my last trip before the Xmas/NY BHs, as things would have ended on a high, whereas tomorrow I have the probably slow and sombre Cold War, but this one will stay with me for some time and I wish Freddie Fox did more comedy.

[Jan]

Yes, I try never to see a comedy until 2-3 weeks after it has opened. They don’t know where all the laughs are until it is in front of an audience and then it takes some time to fine-tune it. I recall one actor saying they rehearsed a play (might have been a Pinter or similar) for a few weeks and it was only at the first preview they even realised it was a comedy, the laughs were entirely unexpected.

[cavocado]

Dec 22, 2023 9:52:01 GMT Jan said:

Yes, I try never to see a comedy until 2-3 weeks after it has opened. They don’t know where all the laughs are until it is in front of an audience and then it takes some time to fine-tune it. I recall one actor saying they rehearsed a play (might have been a Pinter or similar) for a few weeks and it was only at the first preview they even realised it was a comedy, the laughs were entirely unexpected.

Good advice - thank you.

[Jan]

This production is effectively a revival of Tom Littler’s 2021 production for the Guildford Shakespeare Theatre which had no national reviews unlike this one, and no London transfer except as a private performance. So it just shows that there are undiscovered gems out there in fringe and small regional theatres if you look for them.

[lynette]

Tom Littler is the ‘undiscovered gem’.

[bee]

I saw this tonight and would agree with the general opinion on here. It's great fun and a brilliant night out.

[david]

Just nabbed the last ticket for the Thursday matinee based on reviews here. First time trip to the OT so hopefully it will be a good one.

[stevemar]

Another big thumbs up from seeing this last week. It’s really difficult to not overdo things, but the cast is top notch and their energy wonderful, particularly Freddie Fox, Tanya Reynolds and Guy Hughes.

After a few misses from the Orange Tree, this is great and uses the space brilliantly. 4.5 stars.

[david]

Another day provided another opportunity to visit both a new town and a first time visit to theatre venue today for a watch of the matinee show at the OT. With an early start and good weather this morning, a nice quick overground train ride to Richmond gave me a good couple of hours to have a good explore of the town before the show. I really loved Richmond as a town with a great blend both modern and older architecture to give the area some real character. I ended up down by the Waterfront and walked along the Thames Path for a bit just enjoying the beautiful views and bumped into a pair of Heron who seemed to be having a nice relaxing morning. Having a quiet morning by the river with coffee and food away from the noisy city was very much welcomed. 

As my first time at the OT, I really liked the theatre venue. It certainly has got a lot of charm to it and being only a short walk to and from the station was an added bonus. I liked the intimacy of the auditorium meaning that you really are not that far from the cast at any point in the show and can get a real emotional connection to the show. The racked padded bench seating offered uninterrupted views from my C42 stalls seat from which to enjoy the show. The £38 I paid for the ticket (which was a very last minute purchase due to being a returned ticket) I will say based on my experience today was money very well spent and I will say that I had more fun here than at some of the bigger WE shows than I have watched. Now I have been here, I would certainly be happy to make future visits to the OT. The stage space was well used with the set. I would love to see the Manc REX take on this show. With both theatres being in the round stages, I think it would work well there.

Well, the play from the pen of Oliver Goldsmith was for me a great first time visit and a real gem of a play. A real laugh out loud show for the entire 2hrs 35 minute runtime that hit the bullseye for me. Full of humour, warmth along with a bit of song and dance performed brilliantly (with plenty of energy and fun) by the cast. Moving the period setting to the 1930’s and at Christmas worked really well and brought a little extra magic to proceedings, particularly at the end with the song and dance bit. The only issue I had with the writing was the subplot with the jewellery. That wasn’t as good as the main plot. The cast did well with the material so I’m putting that down to the original text. 

In respect to the cast, I really enjoyed watching them all. David Horovitch as the grumpy Dad andFreddie Fox’s scene stealing performance as Charles Marlow are probably the two standouts for me. One cast criticism would be that we didn’t get enough of Richard Derrington as the butler. A wonderful performance when he was on stage. I would have loved more time with him on stage. The addition of the local community drama group was a nice touch to proceedings in the pub scene. The group we had on this afternoon certainly gave it their all and along with actor-musician cast member Guy Hughes in the pub scene in Act 1. Guy’s appearance in the interval to treat us all to a song was great fun.

Despite the heavy rain that I encountered on my way back to the train station, I had a brilliant and fun day in Richmond and was definitely worth the trip out here. 

Rating - 4⭐️