Review: A FLEA IN HER EAR at Brookfield Theatre For The Arts

A flea was put in my ear to get to Brookfield Theater. I was late to the party and tickets were going fast, but I was able to make it to closing weekend of their production of A Flea in her Ear and boy, was it worth it. This review will be a little different, as the show has already closed, but you should be able to find Sherry Cohen’s review of the same production.

Brookfield Theatre began their 2025 season with David Ives’ adaptation of A Flea in Her Ear, the French Farce written by Georges Feydeau. Farces are a beast to perform but can be a delight if they are done well. Recognized by their fast pace and penchant for mistaken identity, farces are a comedic powerhouse full of energy and irony. A Flea in Her Ear, in its time, is known as one of the greatest farces ever written. Directed by Tony and Eric Bosco-Schmidt, A Flea in Her Ear lived up to the hype and left audiences uproarious for 5 weeks.

At its core, A Flea in Her Ear is about fidelity, trust, and learning how to communicate. It follows Raymonde Chandebise, played by Rebecca Annalise, as she tries to catch her husband, Victor Chandebise, played by Gus Bottazzi, in the act of being unfaithful with the help of her Best Friend, Lucienne Homenides de Histangua, played by Anya Nardone. This trio took center stage and kept the audience intrigued in the plot from beginning to end. The absurdity erupts, however, once our cast of characters arrives at the Frisky Puss Hotel- a hotel where “all the guests are married-“ “but not to each other.” It’s at this introduction of Poche- an alcoholic busboy, also played by Gus Bottazzi- who is a spitting image of Victor, that launches the play into a true farce. Bottazzi nailed his entrances and exits as his two different characters stumble in and out of the confusion and chaos.

Once you add in the jealous rage of Lucienne’s husband, Don Carlos Homenides de Histangua- played by Andrés Idrovo- and the actual secret affair between Camille Chandebise- played by Colin McLoone- and the maid, Antoinette- played by Desi Kelley- then all bets are off and the most you can do is just sit back and relax. Props to Colin McLoone, by the way, who had to perform most of the show without using any consonants, as Camille has a speech alteration that makes him difficult to understand without a special mouth plate. And that’s not even including the rest of the ensemble, like the Chandebise’s butler/valet, Etienne (Vincent D’Ambrosio), local Doctor, Dr. Finache (Daniel Mulvihill Jr), the owner of the Frisky Puss, Ferrallion (Dean Alexander), the naïve heartthrob, Romain Tournel (Liam McGrath), the Frisky Puss’s visitor, Rugby (Jon Barker), and the rest of the Frisky Puss Staff; Olympia (Michele Rosa), Eugenie (Maya Bosco-Schmidt), and Baptiste (Rick Stewart). Is that everyone? I think that’s everyone.

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