Tartuffe Presented by Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble at PIP Theatre - Review

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Posted 2024-07-15 by Roy Chambers ⇒ follow

Fri 12 Jul 2024 - Sun 28 Jul 2024

The Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble brings the fun and very relevant play Tartuffe to Brisbane's PIP Theatre . This 17th-century French play is presented with a modern English translation and in great QSE style where they seek out every joke and titillating moment in the original play, capturing both why it is popular and also poignant in the world we live in today.

Image of some of the cast of Tartuffe Courtesy of QSE

Overview of Tartuffe
Tartuffe, also titled The Imposter or the Hypocrite, tells the story of how the head of the Orgon family has brought Tartuffe, a falsely pious person, into their household. He admonishes the family for their lack of virtue but we quickly learn that he has little himself. This results in conflict within the family and, well to put it simply, a range of hijinks.

It is easy to understand the popularity of the play as it works simply as a comedy while there is something much deeper behind it. After all, surprise surprise, the Catholic Church was upset by the idea put forward by the play that someone who talks of virtue might be a hypocrite. The play was edited a bit in its day to reduce criticism of the church. Overall the play is a lot of fun and works as light entertainment despite its heavy subtext. I do find the ending a little weak, but that is a minor criticism.

The Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble's Version
Using a modern translation of the play which ignores a lot of the rhythm of the original work for a clearer and more accessible translation, QSE, as always, seeks out not just the jokes and humour in the original work, but also how to present those to a modern audience. The ensemble has great reverence for these classic works but reverence includes an understanding that the original works had no reverence themselves.

It is very raunchy and physical, and while it keeps its original setting, it also brings in some modern sentiments and paraphernalia to help connect to contemporary audiences. They also focus on the humour and let you the audience decide how to interpret or apply the the messages in the play. Basically, it is a lot of fun and enjoyable for both the theatre crowd and a wider audience.

Outstanding performances

I am tempted to just write that everyone was great and leave it at that. There were no weak leaks in this production, but I do want to highlight a few of the cast.

Rebekah Schmidt goes over the top and some more with Dorine, the family housemade, and carries the play and the plot for much of the show. She puts in a great no-holds-barred performance here.

Rob Pensalfini brings it as Tartuffe, both creating a great voice and characteristic to the performance, but also able to mix the multiple characteristics of this character, mixing intonation and emphasis seamlessly throughout even a single sentence to highlight the many different meanings in what Tartuffe is really saying while also sometimes mixing in body language to add in a whole different level. By the end, he completes his transformation when the truth is revealed.

Rob Pensalfini as Tartuffe at the PIP Theatre

Scott Mair and Leah Mustard are 2 great young actors playing the younger lovers Valere and Mariane. They give off a big schoolboy and schoolgirl vibe, creating characters whose innocence is to be damaged by Tartuffe's schemes.

Scott Mair & Leah Mustard in Tartuffe at the PIP Theatre

Verdict

Get your tickets quickly as they are selling out. It really is a fun play and worth going to see, and it will connect with a wide audience. The Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble presents these great value-for-money productions throughout the year, including Shakespeare, historical plays, and contemporary works, and it is often the only chance to see some of these plays in the theatre in Brisbane.

Location: PIP Theatre, Savoir Faire, 20 Park Rd, Milton QLD 4064
Dates: July 12th-28th 2024
Times: Wednesday to Sundays, with evening, twilight & matinee performances on different days
Tickets: Full $40 & Concession $29
Website: https://piptheatre.org/tartuffe
Phone: 0427 031 983

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290269 - 2024-07-15 00:42:46