Not much change in the world
The Way of the World
By William Congreve
Performed by the Victorian College of the Arts School of Drama
Directed by Robert Draffin
Grant Street Theatre, VCA, Melbourne
Until September 6
Review by Bronwen Beechey
For its 1997 showcase production, VCA's School of Drama has put a modern spin on a play written some 300 years ago.
William Congreve's comedy of manners satirised the excesses of the Restoration aristocracy so savagely that it was banned on its first appearance. This production updates the action to modern-day Melbourne — an appropriate choice given that the play's main action takes place in the exclusive upstairs bar of a popular gambling establishment. It adds elements of vaudeville and cabaret, with members of the cast playing a live jazz score and performing standards like "Fever" and "It's a Sin To Tell a Lie".
Sensibly, the text itself is not changed from the original. It doesn't need to be — it has more intrigues, sinister plots, seductions, blackmailing, adultery, fabulous outfits and bitchy dialogue than the average episode of Melrose Place. The names of the characters — Foible, Fainall, Petulant and Mincing — give a clue to the flavour.
However, despite its broad humour, The Way of the World has a darker side. Congreve shows a world in which a woman's fate is dependent on the whims of her husband, where marriage is a financial transaction and where friendship and loyalty mean little.
Congreve seems to have some sympathy with the plight of women expected to be little more than decorative objects and breeders of heirs.
In what must have been a very radical move for the time, his leading woman character, played by Miria Kostiuk, is portrayed as woman of intelligence, wit and spirit as well as beauty. In one scene, she answers a proposal by her suitor, played by Christopher Brown, with a demand for a relationship based on mutual respect for each other's independence and privacy, which could almost have been written today.
Particularly worth mentioning among the excellent performances is Odette Joannidis' vengeful Marwood (the superbitch character!) and Rachael Tidd, who adds a hilarious touch of AbFab's Patsy to Lady Wishfort.
Also outstanding are Libby O'Brien's set design and Malgorzata Bieda's over-the-top costumes. Last but not least, the audience is served champagne and chocolates during the performance, making it a very pleasant night out.