Written by George
Bernard Shaw
Directed by Ed
Wightman
Canberra REP at
Theatre 3 to 2 June
Reviewed by Len Power
18 May 2018
George Bernard Shaw’s first commercial success, ‘Arms and
the Man’, first produced in 1894, has been given a fine new production by
director, Ed Wightman and his Canberra REP group of actors.
When a Swiss mercenary from the Serbian army, Captain
Bluntschli, breaks into her room, an idealistic young Bulgarian woman, Raina,
is shocked at his pragmatic and cynical attitude towards war. Nevertheless, she allows him to hide from the
soldiers searching for him. Although she
is engaged to war hero, Sergius, her interest in the Captain is obvious to the
audience if not immediately to her.
On the surface a romantic comedy, Shaw’s play satirises
preoccupations with appearance and the opinions of others, the injustices of
class discrimination, the dangers of glorifying warfare and the oppression of
women. It’s not a dusty old classic to
be merely admired – it’s a vibrant, entertaining play full of ideas that seem
as fresh today as when it was written.
Lexi Sekuless gives a memorable performance as Raina. She is impressive to watch as the
insecurities break through the surface of her character’s previously ordered
world. Her verbal and physical comic
timing as she becomes more and more desperate to maintain control is especially
enjoyable.
Joel Hutchings is a dashing and believable Captain
Bluntschli and handles the irony in Shaw’s dialogue very well. Riley Bell is amusing as the blustering Major
Sergius and there are uniformly fine performances from the rest of the cast.
Ed Wightman has given the play a sumptuous production with a
finely detailed, attractive set by Quentin Mitchell and beautifully detailed
period costumes by Anna Senior. He has
obtained very strong, in depth performances from his cast.
Music for the production has been well-chosen to create the
atmosphere for the play’s location in time and place. Aided by the energetic choreography of
Annette Sharp, the unexpectedly rousing finale and curtain call was perfectly
judged.
This review was first
published in the Canberra City News digital edition of 19 May.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on his ‘On Stage’ performing arts radio program on Mondays
and Wednesdays from 3.30pm on Artsound FM 92.7.