THE last thing you expect to see in a church chancel is a man peeing into a bucket - but this was just the scene-setter for the fun to come on Tuesday night.
Hamstrung's production of this 1668 Racine comedy was nothing short of brilliant.
Translated from Les Plaideurs by the incumbent of St Anne's himself, the Rev Geoff Anderson (who modestly admitted it took him just a couple of months to complete the translation), the troupe are believed to have been the first in the country to have performed the play in English.
And translating French rhyming verse into English is no mean feat.
John Bedford, as anything-to-make-a-fast-buck Johnny, Imran Mirza as the bright spark Tiff, Paul Hazlewood as the old soak Judge Dandy and Alan Harris as his foppish son Madlow, were the first to brave the stage in the presence of le Roi Soleil himself (Geoff Anderson) for this witty farce.
Lisa O'Hanlan from Liverpool stepped into the shoes of the diminutive and alluring Sue at the 11th hour after Kate Sharratt was suddenly taken ill.
Together with Tony Goodwin, as her protective father Chaney, and Josette Pearn as Lady Tartinesse, who has made a very nice living out of suing, the ensemble made the most of the merry banter.
They captivated their audience from start to finish in "the blue room at Versailles'' as they delightfully took the pee out of the fascination for suing among the society of the time.
Innuendo, wine, writs, lust and some deliberately missed expletives were rife in this satirical script.
I still have my copy of Racine's Andormaque, which I studied for my A-level French course, stashed on my bookshelf. It's liberally scrawled with pencil translations, just so I didn't miss out on any of the tragic moments.
I don't think I could forget any of Tuesday's magic moments. Sue Crazy! was music to the ears.
Hamstrung takes the play to Newnham College, Cambridge, this weekend.
Julie Keen
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