THEATRE: The Rover at the New Diorama
The Rover at the New Diorama Theatre
Published: 16 August, 2012
by PAVAN AMARA
The Rover
New Diorama Theatre
THIS play premiered in 1677 – but don’t let that put you off.
The Pell Mell Theatre Company’s production of Aphra Behn’s The Rover is blessed with an excellent cast and a script that still rings true.
With scenes that highlight women’s vulnerability to rape, the play starts strongly and develops its various strands with good direction.
It works with the age-old themes of sexual temptation, sexual violence, and finding true love with all its flaws – intermingling all three at points and separating them out where necessary.
Louisa Marie Lorey is captivating and amusing as cunning vixen Lucetta, who manages to seduce Matt Gibbs’ Blunt.
Both Gibbs and Felix Trench, who plays the arrogant cad Willmore, do well to explore their characters without becoming stereotypes.
The timeless script and the actors’ skill in conveying it to an audience who may never have studied classics means the play is accessible.
For anyone concerned about the high rate of sexual violence towards women, this will provide plenty of talking points; for anyone who wants to see a group of very talented young actors perform an important play it’s a good night out.
If you know anyone who’s scared of Restoration theatre then take them to see this.
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