Review: This is No Hearsay, THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL at the Stratford Festival is a Hit!

Stratford Festival's Artistic Director, Antoni Cimolino is directing one production this season and it is Richard Brinsley Sheridan's THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL. Mounted on the Avon Theatre stage, this production boasts a fabulous company and a commentary on society that is far from outdated.

Aside from a shout-out to Sean Spicer, there were no updates to the actual dialogue in this play, however; there was certainly a modern twist added in that social media was used at the beginning and end to demonstrate how "scandal" is still alive and well in our society. Hashtags and Selfies were utilized very cleverly to drive this point home.

From start to finish, this play is great fun. The awkward moments and comedic climaxes to each of the eventually interweaving plots have brilliant payoffs that leave the audience howling. Unsurprisingly, at the centre of the majority of the comedy, are money and love-two very popular sources of scandal! Maev Beaty's Lady Sneerwell has romantically entangled herself with a set of brothers while both brothers are in love with her ward, Maria (Monice Peter). The two brothers, Joseph and Charles (Tyrone Savage and Sebastien Heins) are not aware, but their uncle, Sir Oliver Surface (Joseph Ziegler) is visiting with the intention of determining if either of his nephews is worthy of inheriting his fortune. With the assistance of Brent Carver's Lowrey, he presents himself as a potential lender to Charles, and as someone who requires a loan to Joseph. Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

Another hilarious plotline involves newly married couple, Sir Peter Teazle (Geraint Wynn Davies) and his much younger wife, Lady Teazle (Shannon Taylor). The two of them are an absolute riot. Lady Teazle has grown bored of her husband and is having an affair with Joseph. In one of the best scenes of the play, Sir Peter shows up at Joseph's home under the suspicion that she is cheating with his brother, Charles, causing Lady Teazle (who is there at the time) to have to hide.

With all of this going on, the local gossips, Mrs. Candour (Bridget Wilson), Crabtree (Rod Beattie), and Sir Benjamin Backbite (Tom Rooney) have plenty to keep themselves entertained. They predictably don't get any of their news right...but after all, isn't that what gossip and scandal is all about?

The costumes by Designer, Julie Fox are both gorgeous and fun. They immediately bring the audience into the world that Sheridan has created. Cimolino and the company are then able to keep us there.

THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL is great fun, it possesses a dynamite cast, and it serves as a reminder that the ridiculous scandal and gossip of our day and age are certainly not new inventions. It has always existed...it just looked a little different. This play offers an opportunity for audience members to perhaps, reflect on our own forays into the gossip world and to take ourselves a little less seriously by watching characters who take themselves far too seriously, act ridiculously.

THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL continues in Repertory at the Avon Theatre until Oct. 21.

Photo Credit: Cylla von Tiedemann

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