SO FUNNY IT’S CRIMINAL
You can’t even trust the priest in 18th-century romantic comedy
In The Beaux’ Stratagem, Michael Martin plays a man with two contradicting career choices. Gloss is a highwayman and a priest, but sees no conflict between the two.
Understandably, it’s fun to play the mischievous character.
“He’s got no qualms about saying mass on Sundays and picking someone’s pocket on Monday,” Martin said with a laugh.
“He’s got ambition in the church and ambitions on the road.”
The fourth-year drama student at the University of Saskatchewan is part of Greystone Theatre’s production of the Restoration-era play. The piece was written by George Farquhar in the early 1700s.
In 1939, Thornton Wilder took a crack at modernizing it, but died before he could finish. Ken Ludwig was commissioned by Wilder’s estate to complete his work. The updated version premiered in 2006.
The character of Gloss is an invention of Wilder who did not appear in the original script.
Though the company is staging the modern adaptation, it’s still set during England’s Restoration period. The cast sports 18thcentury costumes and even takes part in a little sword play. The humour, however, is good for any era.
The comedy tells the story of a pair of scalawags looking for a wealthy heiress they can take advantage of. They pose as servant and master in their scheme and meet many vibrant characters along the way.
“It’s a really fun romantic comedy. It’s a very funny piece and it’s quite sweet, too. It’s quite touching,” Martin said.
The production, directed by Julia Jameson, also features ballads and church hymns sung by some of the 20-person cast in keeping with the 18th-century setting.
“There’s never really a dull moment, and especially around Valentine’s Day, I think it’s a lovely piece to take your significant other to.”