French ToastA down-on-his-luck British director Simon Monk (Ché Walker) has decided to make a comeback by staging Fefe (pronounced Fi-Fi) a comedy musical version of Racine’s tragedy Phaedra for which he hopes to secure the talents of Twiggy as his leading lady. His ex, the diva-esque Jacqueline Brémont (Edith Vernes) who has the financial wherewithal to bankroll the production, believes that she should play the lead role and she sets about recruiting actors sympathetic to her wishes, (or at least those who are sufficiently malleable to manipulate). Eager to retain her financial backing, yet certain it would be folly to cast her, as the company gather to rehearse in their pre-London try-out venue of Basingstoke, Simon sets about discrediting Jacqueline’s triple threat credentials by showing-up the weakness in her singing and dancing abilities. Battle lines are drawn.
Adapted by Sam Alexander with input from the company, the play is directed by Marianne Badrichani who also has a hand in the script and describes the production as “…a bonbon with a bit of je ne sais quoi”.
On a stage sometimes cluttered with scenery flats and backdrops (we are firmly in Noises Off territory), what should be a rib-tickling farce which draws on the stereotypical quirks and differences between the French and English, in the main feels remarkably old-hat, laboured and flabby. Many lines fall flat despite the best efforts of the actors who spend a lot of the time brazening-out a fairly lame situation. Josie Benson squeezes in a moment to shine expressing frustration at being cast for the 7th time as a prostitute. Reece Richardson gets his moment as a frenzied punk rocker, Suzy Kohane dons leggings and shows her moves as dance captain and Paul Hegarty’s old ham gets to roller skate before his wandering hands land him in trouble. Whilst these vignettes offer a distraction, they also feel tacked-on as appeasement to the performers for bothering to show up and lend their skills to a production which feels wholly underwritten and lost in translation. Undoubtedly the performances will settle and some of the timing issues will iron themselves out, particularly once the props problems are addressed (doors which refuse to stay shut and dressing mirror lights which flicker on and off are distracting for both performers and the audience).
My advice: 1) Chalk this one up to experience, 2) Enjoy the silliness while it lasts, 3) Three weeks will zoom by and panto season is just around the corner.
The limited run of FRENCH TOAST ends Sat 26th October.
