“The Imaginary Invalid”

By Molière, directed by Jordan Best for Centrepiece Theatre.

At The Q, Queanbeyan, until July 21.

Reviewed by Helen Musa

THIS is a revival of a show seen at the Courtyard Studio in May last year and in the much more capacious, formal surrounds of the The Q, it seems a very different production indeed.

Acted out on a new set by Wayne Shepherd that seeks to top the deliberate silliness of Cate Clelland’s 2011 set, it is in all aspects but one, over the top.

In the initial production, director Best seized upon the commedia dell’arte origins of Molière’s theatrical style, using lot of physical theatre, exaggeration and intentional overacting to equate to the theatre of 17th century France.

Now, armed with a bigger budget to spend on more expensive wigs and set, she has decide to take that extravagance one step further.

The problem is that Tony Turner as the hypochondriac Argan (Molière’s last stage role) is playing it subtly, for real. He is the still point in a turning world of slapstick and at times the contrast loses credibility. The scenes with his hypocritical wife (Best) and his emotional daughter (Kiki Skountzos) stretch credulity to breaking point.

While in the first production the star was indeed the imaginary invalid, in this version it is Erin Pugh as Toinette, the outspoken servant. This is a weird and wonderful performance by Erin Pugh, who twists and contorts all over the stage as she tries to be all things to all people.

Because of the high-level madness permeating this re-working, the other powerful character was Cameron Thomas as Berald, Argan’s sensible brother, who bestrides the stage to bring about a happy ending.

Last year I described this show as “screamingly funny”.

The humour and the vicious satire of the medical profession are still there, but this year, while the laughs still came, they came intermittently.