The School for Wives

‘The School for Wives’ has been specially translated for this production, by a Patrick White award finalist, Justin Fleming; being translated from the very saucy, french comedy, ‘L'École des femmes’. It was written by seventeenth century playwright Moliere, shortly after his own marriage. It is still considered Moliere’s best play.

This Perth Theatre Trust, State Theatre Centre and Bell Shakespeare presentation is being performed at the Heath Ledger Theatre within the State Theatre Centre, 174 William Street, Perth. This production is on a massive ‘around Australia’ season with more than two dozen venues.

With only five not to be missed 150-minute performances in Perth, the shows are on nightly at 7.30 pm until Saturday 14^th July, with one matinee on Saturday at 2.15 pm.

The stage is totally without side drapes or flats, the wings being totally visible. An upright piano is in the left corner and any props and fixtures are moved in on rollers. This uncomplicated style of scenery is being true to the original era.

The names of the characters have been anglicised, but are very similar to Molière’s.

        It is 1920, and 42 years old, Arnolde (John Adam) and his friend Chris (Damien Richardson) are driving in the suburbs of Paris. As they chat, Arnolde explains how fourteen years earlier he had found a young orphan girl, Agnès (Harriet Dyer), and had taken her under his wing. He cared for and groomed her, by sending her to a convent to be raised ‘in extreme innocence’ until her 18^th birthday, when he could then marry her. This naïve, bright and bubbly young child, who had now come of age, was 'bound to be faithful' to him - as she knew no other life. To stop gossip, Arnolde has told  Agnès that he is called Monsieur de la Souche (which could be translated as ‘the man from the black stump’).

         Agnes has now left the nunnery and is living in a flat that Arnolde owns nearby. She is under the supervision of the strict Italian housekeeper, Georgette (Alexandra Aldrich) and the slightly dippy manservant, Alan (Andrew Johnston). However, when Horace (Meyne Wyatt), the son of Arnolde’s best friend Lawrence (Mark Jones), calls at the house, in error he is allowed inside and Agnès immediately falls in love with him, as does Horace with Agnès.

         When Arnolde finds out about these horrendous circumstances from Horace, who is unaware that Arnolde is her ‘cruel’ guardian De la Souche, he knows he must act quickly to keep her love. Arnolde immediately calls in a Notary (Jonathan Elsom) to draw up a marriage contract. 

         Now nothing can go wrong – or can it?

When written 350 years ago, not surprisingly, this play caused many an outcry of paedophilia and disgust. The version is now saucy, bawdy and occasionally crude, but an extremely good laugh.

The whole script is in verse; however the rhyming couplet arrangement is different for each character and so initially a little jarring. For the first five or ten minutes I found the dialogue a little difficult to latch onto, however, with the extremely well-observed character development by the director (Lee Lewis, assisted by John Kachoyan), coupled with the inventive movement direction (Penny Baron), each line was spelled out to the audience by the outstanding cast. Anna McCrossin-Owen’s voice coaching gave a further depth to the rich characterisation. At times Arnolde was made to ham it up, and this brought many extra laughs.

The pianist, Mark Jones, who was really a one-man-band, created a light-hearted and almost flippant background, as he played Kelly Ryall’s fun compositions.

Despite the era being stated as 1920, there was an abundance of up-to-date, tongue in cheek, references both musically and in the verse. The script was hilarious, with the odd line where one thought ‘did she really say that?’ Although bawdy, the show was totally inoffensive.

Designer, Marg Horwell’s set was simple – as this is a touring company – but using imaginative projection and rotating flats, all the required set detail was achieved. The costumes were Marg’s indulgence. There was a large range, from the smart notary’s robes, to the bland clothes of Arnolde, the gaudy - almost spiv like - outfit of Chris and the beautiful, simple dresses of Agnès. The lighting by Niklas Pajanti captured the mood well, using only his touring rig, rather than the immense resources of the theatre.

The name ‘Bell Shakespeare’ has become internationally known as a label of quality in the theatre, and every part of this show glowed excellence.

The play ended with an energetic, bubbly dance routine, which sent the enthusiastic audience home with a smile. A wonderful interpretation of Molière’s work. Try and catch it before it goes, after only five Perth shows.