A nose for theatre

Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac, first performed in 1897, is based on events around the year 1640 (or at least that was the date of the siege of Arras in which Christian de Neuvillette was killed) and the stage setting paid homage to that 17th century backdrop when the curtain went up at the traditional San Isidro Playhouse of the Suburban Players – a portrait of Cardinal Richelieu in the foreground with a couple of duelling épees hanging on the wall. But from the moment the actors burst onto the scene, the play did a fast forward from 1640 and 1897 straight into the 21st century with torrents of language which was anything but précieux although neither was it ridiculous – instead of going from bad to worse, Simon Chater's production goes from good to verse.

The verse is indeed this play’s grandest achievement because moving from one couplet to another with the obligation to rhyme ruling out any improvisation or memory lapses conveys all the impression of walking on a tightrope – congratulations to the actors and direction of Suburban Players alike. Chater burns his boats because he could have gone for the Anthony Burgess adaptation blending poetry and prose but instead went all the way with Brian Hooker’s translation, spiced with some language worthy of the latter’s surname which was indeed perhaps the jarring note for many in the audience beyond the prim and proper in the Anglo-Argentine community – this reviewer's opinion is that it might have been confined to the boisterous soldiery accompanying Cyrano and Christian rather than generalised to the dainty ladies, far less Roxane.

Where this production does not differ from the many previous versions is in the basic plot. Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655), a brilliant poet and swordsman who really existed, is hopelessly in love with his beautiful cousin Roxane but feels doomed by his enormous nose until he finds a vehicle for vicarious passion by putting the right words into the mouth of the handsome but inarticulate aristocrat and fellow-officer Christian de Neuvillette to whom Roxane is attracted.

Almost all the roles beyond this triangle are superfluous except perhaps for the cynically ruthless Antoine de Guiche, related to Cardinal Richelieu, to play the villain. Yet Chater has managed to assemble a cast of 20 and all to good effect.

Hard to single out individual actors great or small within this young and enthusiastic cast because all flowed into this dynamic production. Guillermo Buteler is brilliant in the title role while Ana Luna Pogonza Kirschgen projects a personality far beyond a pretty face, as does Benjamin Lowe to a much more limited extent, given his role as Christian. Néstor Cola Medina plays De Guiche as so complete the politician that he even knows when to compromise. Juan Martín Lamí Dozo is Cyrano’s staunch friend and confidant Le Bret while other military comrades are raucously played by Fernando Santillán, Kostas Papalias, Alan Fraser and Hans Biorklund – Santillán doubles as the bombastic actor Montfleury under the mediocre direction of theatre impresario Bellarose and Papalias as Valvert, a rival suitor of Roxane who duels with Cyrano. Verónica Taylor plays Madame Leila Ragueneau (actually male in Rostand’s original play) who runs a poetic patisserie with Malena Chater, Annabella Conti and Joaquina Zito as the poetic groupies Marie-Louise, Denise and Manon while Carola Durlach, Pamela Maggi and Agustina López Suárez are also part of the human furniture. Acting coach Andrew Cobb has a cameo role as a Capuchin priest and last but not least, Tomi Rademacher as Ligniére (an old drunk and not a hyperkinetic kid in Rostand’s play) is by far the most electric member of a dynamic cast.

If Chater has a large cast of 20, he has an even larger production crew of around two dozen people working with him (including four cast members). Space is running out to name them all but at the risk of being grossly unfair to the others, we might mention three core functions: Stage Manager: Cecilia Bell; Lights: Vicky Visciglia; and Sound: Edward Green.

There will be a repeat performance next weekend at popular request. For more see www.thesuburbanplayers.com.