Summoning everyone: The Recruiting Officer comes to the Northcott Theatre
Running from Tuesday 3rd to Saturday 7th December 2013, The Recruiting Officer is a true delight for theatre-lovers, with everything from swashbuckling soldiers to women dressed as men. The play is a Salisbury Playhouse Production, originally written by George Farquahar and produced by Gareth Minchin, also a member of the cast.
Described as “a regional theatre with all guns blazing” by the Daily Telegraph, the Salisbury Playhouse puts on a raucous and wonderfully English comedy of bawdiness, disastrous sexual exploits and meddling servants. As well as a beautifully designed and effective set (which even includes a working well), there is also delightful 18th Century music at every scene-change, played entirely by the cast of ten, on a variety of instruments.
The play follows the social and sexual exploits of two officers, the womanising Plume and the cowardly Brazen, who arrive in the town of Shrewsbury intent on recruiting men using every trick in the book. Captain Plume, played by the brilliant Babou Ceesay, has also got his eye on the heiress Sylvia, but gets so easily distracted by the local 'wenches' that Sylvia decides to disguise herself as a soldier to spy on her lover.
Plume is followed into town by his friend Mr Worthy, who is in love with Sylvia's cousin, Melinda, a recent heiress to £20,000. However, Melinda accepts the attention of the repulsive Captain Brazen to annoy Worthy, as she is offended by his previous offer of taking her as his mistress. It turns out that Melinda's maid Lucy is also responding to Brazen's advances under the guise of being Melinda, hoping to marry him herself.
The Captain and his men certainly follow the motto of “kiss the prettiest wenches, and you are sure of 'listing the lustiest fellows”, but the so-called 'wenches' show themselves to be more than capable of coping with these male exploits. Despite much confusion of identity and mixed messages, the play ends happily, with all lovers reunited.
The whole cast acted brilliantly, putting on a variety of different accents and elaborate costumes, and the laugh-out-loud performance received a very warm response from the audience.
For more information go to the Northcott Theatre website:
