There wasn’t that much to distinguish one scene from another, so it was a surprise to read the programme on the train home and discover that the two scenes in the third act (of five) were, respectively, in an open field, and in a room in a castle. What a sparse castle! In the end, it didn’t matter too much, as the production was heavily reliant on the dialogue, witty as it was. A period piece these days, the play was remarkably easy to follow, to the point where I wonder if it was a little too didactic when it was first produced in 1798. For instance, there’s a very comprehensive explanation from a soldier, Frederick Friburg (Matthew Thomason), as to why he has returned to his hometown, and what documentation he requires, from where, what the implications have already been as a result of him not having the documentation available when requested, and so on and so forth. That said, it was quite useful, as it happens, to aid understanding of living in Germany in the 1780s, and indeed to understand Frederick’s ancestry.
I very quickly found myself trying to appreciate proceedings from the perspective of the time in which it was set. Without that context, it would almost certainly be too moralistic – some of the past behaviours of the characters would be neither here nor there. The charitable nature of the Cottager (Richard Ward) and his wife (Hilary Field) would have been taken advantage of in this day and age. The moral lesson here is not about how to avoid being scammed but about how kindness and hospitality should be extended to those less fortunate than ourselves. Some light-hearted exchanges between the nameless cottagers were sufficiently amusing.
The play’s entire proceedings take place over a twenty-four hour period. If a week is a long time in politics – and it is – a day in late eighteenth-century Germany results in substantial and permanent changes to practically every character. The local clergyman, Anhalt (Edmund Digby Jones) – the terms ‘rector’ and ‘pastor’ are used but never ‘vicar’ – is a rounded character, dispensing moral and spiritual guidance to almost everyone else, with realistically mixed results. Elsewhere, the play makes sideswipes at other plays written substantially in verse, with Harry Saks’ Baron Wildenhaim repeatedly telling Verdun the Butler (Gareth Pilkington) to ditch the poetry and just engage in a straightforward conversation.
The play has been described elsewhere as a melodrama, although hammy performances were not (in my humble opinion) evident. The manner in which some people are ill-treated in the show demonstrates how some things haven’t changed, centuries later. It was easy to remain absorbed in proceedings, and this production is, in the end, a couple of hours of escapism from the stresses and strains of modern life. Very much an ensemble piece of theatre, it is quite impossible to single out a stand-out performance in a company where the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Frederick, on leave from military service, finds his mother Agatha destitute on the streets and close to death. To secure her survival he draws his sword on a wealthy Baron but is quickly captured and imprisoned. The penalty for his actions is death.
Baron Wildenhaim has further troubles of his own. His daughter Amelia refuses his choice in marriage, and pursues instead her tutor Anhalt.
Will Amelia get her way? Will Frederick escape his fate?
CAST
The Landlord – Gareth Pilkington
Agatha Friburg – Kate Glover
Frederick Friburg – Matthew Thomason
Cottager – Richard Ward
Cottager’s Wife – Hilary Field
Baron Wildenhaim – Harry Saks
Amelia Wildenhaim – Emma Riches
Count Cassel – John Craggs
Mr Anhalt – Edmund Digby Jones
Verdun the Butler – Gareth Pilkington
CREATIVE
Written by Elizabeth Inchbald (1753-1821)
Directed by Kenneth Michaels
Lighting Design: Edmund Sutton
Sound Design: Samantha Parry
Set Design Consultant: Anita Gander
Historia Theatre Company present
LOVERS’ VOWS
21 January to 1 February 2025
Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, London SE4 2DH
