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Coward's
controversial comedy about sex, love and lust takes a three-cornered
relationship between three free-spirited young artists through various
permutations as they cavort around the glamorous, art deco-influenced
worlds of London, Paris and New York in 1932.
Driven
by sexual tensions and frustrations, Otto the painter, Leo the playwright,
and Gilda the interior decorator, can't live together, while finding
it even more impossible to live apart.
Contrary
to received wisdom, they discover three is not a crowd, indeed,
to their eternal frustration, they find they can only really survive
as a trio and contrive a design for living - an amicable menage-a-trois.
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| Otto,
Gilda and Leo contrive a design for living |
"The
actual facts are so simple. I love you. You love me. I love Otto.
Otto loves you. Otto loves me. There now! Start to unravel from
there," says Leo, encapsulating the trio's bizarre "game of spiritual
pong-pong".
Widely
considered scandalous, when the play first appeared in 1932 it was
promptly banned, now to be revived by Sir Peter Hall as part of
a mixed-bag quintet of plays staged by his 2003 Company.
The
production is, surprisingly, a first stab at the work of the Master
for Sir Peter who, nevertheless manages to find fresh insights and
nuances into the lives of the three main protagonists.
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| Sir
Peter Hall directs Aden Gillett and Janie Dee in rehearsals |
Characters
which might otherwise seem anachronistic and inconsequential are
fleshed out and given well-rounded inner lives.
Spoiled
dilettantes they may be, but we nevertheless care about them and
their seemingly insoluble problem in this crisp, well-paced production.
>>>
Read
an interview with Sir Peter Hall
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Janie
Dee as the indecisive and flippant Gilda |
Janie
Dee is well-cast as the indecisive, flippant Gilda, while Aden Gillett
brings an appropriate degree of suaveness and sophistication to
the role of the playwright, Leo.
Less
successful is the bold choice Hugo Speer as Otto.
The
Full Monty star often works too hard at locating his character and
is often swamped by his co-protagonists.
Nevertheless,
he has time to grow into what is undoubtedly, a demanding role.
>>>
Read an
interview with Hugo Speer
There
is excellent support from William Chubb as Ernest - the man who
"hasn't got a personality" and Ann Penfold who metamorphoses wonderfully
from the downtrodden scuffling char, Miss Hodge of Act II into the
sophisticated New York socialite Grace Torrence of the final Act.
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Sir
Peter Hall's direction is "pacey and sharp" |
Sir
Peter's direction is pacey and sharp.
Characters
manoeuvre around the stage, circling around one another constantly
in a metaphorical version of their tripartite relationship while
their ongoing machinations are ably augmented by John Gunter's eye-catching
sets.
The
content may be old - but it's given fresh and invigorating form
in this new production.
>>>
Design for Living runs at the Theatre
Royal Bath until 9 August
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