CW wrote: “The Waltz of the Toreadors was written in 1951 by Jean Anouilh and could be best described as a comical, tragic farce.
A story of memory, desire and loss. A midlife crisis with a French twist. The General finds himself lost in the fond memory of his old flirtation. When Ghislaine turns up suddenly, he is delighted – until he finds himself competing for her hand with a considerably younger suitor.
This play has been made into a musical, a film starring Peter Sellers and, more recently, a production by the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2007 with Peter Bowles as the General, using this new translation by Ranjit Bolt.
This is the first time I have directed for Wick Theatre Company and i have really enjoyed working on this play – which was one of those on my ‘to do’ list. I know that all the hard work by the company in the bleak winter months will blossom in this production.
Publicity #1: The Waltz of the Toreadors
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: February 28 2013 issue – page 40
Text Header: Wick breathes new life into a bitter-sweet comic masterpiece
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A FARCICAL comedy that will take you up an down the emotional scale comes to the Barn Theatre, Southwick, next week.
Wick Theatre Company presents Jean Anouilh’s bitter-sweet comic masterpiece, The Waltz of the Toreadors, from Wednesday, March 6, to Saturday, March 9, at 7.45pm daily.
Directed by Caroline Woodley, it swings from pathos and extreme comedy to cringing irony.
The Waltz of the Toreadors is one of Anouilh’s best-known works, thanks to a Peter Sellers film, but Wick Theatre promises to breath new life into the script, with a new and lively translation by Ranjit Bolt, first staged at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2007. Written in 1951, this hilarious farce is set in 1910 France.
The story focuses on General Leon Saint-Pé and his infatuation with Ghislaine, a woman with whom he danced at a garrison ball some 17 years earlier – the band played Waltz of the Toreadors and sparks flew. Now faced with the reality of retirement, his hypochondriac wife, his paunch growing and his midlife crisis consuming his life, the General finds himself lost in the fond memory of his old flirtation.
When Ghislaine suddenly reappears, he is delighted – until he finds himself competing for her hand with a considerably younger suitor, Gaston, who appears to steal her heart before his very eyes.
Anouilh’s other plays include Ring Round the Moon, Antigone, Becket, The Lark and The Rehearsal.
Wick’s cast includes Graham Till, Bob Ryder, Maggi Pearce, Amy Curtis, Alys Bowerman, Rhiannon Armitage, David Peaty, Stephanie Moorey and Loretta Tomlinson.
The Barn Theatre is located at Southwick Community Centre, Southwick Street, Southwick. Tickets are £11. There is limited seating so reserve online.
For information and tickets visit www.wicktheatre.co.uk or call the box office 01273 597094.
Review #1: The Waltz of the Toreadors
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: Unknown
Reviewer: Elaine Hammond
Text Header: Brave choice proves perfect performance
Text: Content
A new and lively translation of Jean Anouilh’s The Waltz of the Toreadors was brought to the Barn Theatre, Southwick, last week by Wick Theatre Company. Possibly a brave choice, it didn’t exactly have people rushing to buy tickets, possibly because they weren’t quite sure what the farcical comedy was about. But those who did turn out found they thoroughly enjoyed it – I overheard many comments about it being well cast and perfectly performed. It only goes to show it’s worth giving things a go!
Graham Till had the demanding role of General St. Pé, a rather rampant old goat who can’t seem to keep his hands off anyone young and pretty. The script, in fact, was rather risqué, not surprising given its French origins, but Till blustered on, so it was never embarrassing. He was dealing with his hypochondriac wife, growing paunch and midlife crisis – enough for any man – when the love of his life for 17 years, Ghislaine, turned up.
Pam Luxton, playing the General’s wife, Amélie, was a voice off stage for the first half, calling out from her bedroom. But the enormous bed was brought on stage for the start of the second half, for an hilarious, yet poignant, scene where the General is driven to nearly strangle her.
All the issues of a marriage where both parties hate each other were brought to the fore, making it at times shocking. I didn’t have much sympathy with either!
Other good performances came from Alys Bowerman and Amy Curtis, as the General’s daughters, who produced quite a few giggles. Stephanie Moorey, as Ghislaine, brought some marvellous French chic to the piece and had our eyes popping out of our heads when she attempted suicide by apparently jumping out of the window!
Review #2: The Waltz of the Toreadors
Publication: Brighton Argus
On-line Publication Data: March 8 2013 – 5:01pm
Reviewer: Louise Schweitzer
Text: Content
The Waltz Of The Toreadors is a French merry-go-round, a tragicomic farce of old age, dead love, new hope, past sin and comic coincidence. Written by Jean Anouilh in 1951, it has been given fresh charm with a marvellous revival by the Wick Company. Graham Till is perfect as General St Pé, precisely illustrating Francoise Sagan’s ideal man as strong and childish. On stage almost all evening, he is the focus of the drama and holds it strongly together, strutting one minute and collapsing the next.
Phil Brown, in his debut rôle as Gaston, manages to combine virginal seminarian and ardent lover rather nicely. David Peaty as Dr Bonfont, reminding us that this is a play by a man about men, demonstrates chauvinist prejudice in the face of terrible female adversity. Pam Luxton and Stephanie Moorey are fainting decoratively or medically most of the time while the poor daughters gamely act very plain indeed.
Roué, cliché, femme-du-monde are French words but the situations they conjure up belong to us all; through a wistful sadness, we laugh at what we recognise can happen through fault, through desire, through circumstances or through a wonderful play at the Southwick Barn Theatre.
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