The Rivals
From Theatre Breaks
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The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles will star in Peter Hall's new production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's comedy The Rivals, beginning performances at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket November 10th 2010, prior to an official opening November 23rd 2010.
The play was first performed in Covent Garden, London, on the 17th of January in 1775. Yes, 1775!
Look at the list of characters and see if you can spot somebody who became a bit of a celebrity in her own right:
- Sir Anthony Absolute, a wealthy baronet
- Captain Jack Absolute, his son, disguised as Ensign Beverly
- Faulkland, friend of Jack Absolute
- Bob Acres, friend of Jack Absolute
- Sir Lucius O'Trigger, an Irish baronet
- Fag, Captain Absolute's servant
- David, Bob Acres' servant
- Thomas, Sir Anthony's servant
- Lydia Languish, a wealthy teenaged heiress, in love with "Ensign Beverley"
- Mrs. Malaprop, Lydia's middle-aged guardian
- Julia Melville, a young relation of the Absolutes, in love with Faulkland
- Lucy, Lydia's conniving maid
The Plot Outline for The Rivals
The Rivals is set in 1775 as the fashionable world descends on Bath to take the waters, show off their finery, enjoy the gossip and pursue romance.
Among them are some of the most extraordinary comic characters to grace the stage:
- the verbally misguided Mrs Malaprop
- her absurdly romantic niece, Lydia Languish
- the blinkered Sir Anthony Absolute
- blustering Irishman, Sir Lucius O'Trigger
- bumpkin Bob Acres
The action follows a single day where these suitors and schemers and their servants indulge in an assortment of hilariously extravagant intrigues before everyone is happily paired off.
The Rivals at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London
Much-loved actress Penelope Keith plays Mrs Malaprop in this London production of The Rivals. Her previous theatre work includes Entertaining Angels, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Relatively Speaking and Blithe Spirit.
Penelope Keith is paired with Peter Bowles as Sir Anthony Absolute, her co-star from the popular sitcom To The Manor Born. Peter is one of Britain's most distinguished actors whose starring roles on TV include The Bounder and The Irish RM.
Critical Praise
Gerald Berkowitz said the play is a stately adaptation of the classic stage story, which pokes fun at the class system and he reserved particular praise for Penelope Keith as Mrs Malaprop, who he said steals every scene she is in, together with Peter Bowles as Sir Anthony.
Penelope Keith underplays the character of Malaprop, which works wonderfully. Because the actress doesn't hand us each joke on a silver platter, we have to listen for them and finding them for ourselves, are all the more delighted by them.
Last month, Sarah Hemming of the Financial Times also praise Penelope Keith for her understated performance and called The Rivals "a handsome affair, delivered with style and charm".
