The Beaux' Stratagem as sweet as chocolate

Cam Fuller  •  Saskatoon StarPhoenix

The Beaux’ Stratagem is a heart-shaped box of chocolates, wrapped in posh satin and delivered just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Greystone Theatre’s penultimate production of the year is hard to pronounce and harder to spell but also hard to put down.

A huge cast of 19 students conveys the George Farquhar Restoration comedy, which was partially adapted by Thornton Wilder and finally finished by Ken Ludwig.

Director Julia Jamison keeps it snappy, energetic and fun with no lack of physical comedy to go with the witty script. And somehow, she manages to get the thing done in a mere two hours.

It’s all about wooing and fleecing rich women, as two calculating fraudsters — Jack (Max Perez) and Tom (Kody Farrow) set their sights on the women of the Bountiful household, Mrs. Kate Sullen (Pieternella Kielstra) and Dorinda (Danica Tempel).

The world here is a fascinating mix of inherited wealth and brazen larceny. Mr. Gloss fits in perfectly. He’s a fake minister who genuinely loves preaching and also happens to be a highway robber doing, as he elegantly terms it, “the work of the road.” The many shades of the part and its inherent comedy are portrayed delightfully by Michael Martin, one of the strongest actors in the cast.

The play is filled with many quirky, absurd, outrageous characters — none more so than Lady Bountiful (Erin Brophy is quite fun here), a self-trained doctor quick to rely on quack medicines like “raccoon’s milk” and the removal of limbs by bone saw for such ailments as headaches.

Also memorable is the drunken husband Sullen, brought to life amusingly by Kyler Bueckert. “You can kiss my sister but she’s skim milk,” he slurs at one point.

The lead romancer/gold digger is Jack Archer, handled smoothly with heroic dignity by Max Perez.

Meanwhile, Garrett Gizen’s much put-upon priest Foigard, who makes many thwarted attempts to launch a wedding ceremony, is quite a hoot.

The twist here isn’t hard to predict when you see Jack and Tom genuinely fall in love with their marks. We’re told, after all, that comedy is like life — the ending is never in doubt, the only question is how we get there.

Adding to the spectacle are elaborate and colourful period costumes — impressive work by designer Jensine Emeline. 

There’s much to like in the wordplay — “oxymoron” reminds Mrs. Sullen of men: part ox, part moron. And there’s startlingly good sword play, made even better when the women step in and battle with the bad guys.

Beaux is bon, indeed.