Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Based on the 1988 film of the same name, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels premiered on Broadway in 2005 to mixed reviews and in the West End in 2014 to warm reviews, but only ran for a year. I have to conclude that the West End show could not have been anywhere near as bright, colourful, energetic, and funny as this production by CAOS or it would have received rave reviews. Director Beverley Seal should take a well-deserved bow for this.

The curtains opened to an empty stage, save for the band occupying the rear half. A few pieces of furniture, excellent lighting and great costumes were all that was needed to conjure up the atmosphere of the French Riviera. This ensured swift transitions between scenes and the show swept us along with tremendous pace.

Nick Williams and Ryan Moss made a great pairing as the two con-artists Lawrence Jameson and Freddy Benson. Nick was every inch the smooth, debonaire charmer who made the ladies glad to hand over their jewellery, while Ryan was spot-on as the more down to earth swindler relying on emotional blackmail to line his pockets. Both have excellent singing voices and great stage presence. Ryan is obviously a natural comic with perfect timing and great slapstick abilities – his antics in the “Ruffhousin’ with Shuffhausen” and “All About Ruprecht” scenes had me nearly falling off my chair with laughter.

They were most ably supported by a nicely understated performance from Ben Horner as Andre Thibault, with his subtle French accent and constant exasperation at having to sort out the messes the others created. Emily Horner gave Muriel Eubanks real character and entranced us with her beautiful singing voice in “What Was a Woman to Do?” – knockout! – and her touching scenes with Andre. Bee Anderson brought us a larger-than-life Jolene Oaks, an enthusiastic and eager wealthy socialite from Oklahoma – all gingham, country accent and squeaky voice. Last to arrive on the scene was Emma Hall as Christine Colgate, clumsy heiress and competition winner who, we ultimately find, is just another con artist. Another great, convincing performance and beautiful singing voice.

Chorus singing and movements were impeccable. Rebecca Backham’s imaginative choreography made the most of the small stage area and was executed with great precision. The twelve-piece band, under the confident baton of Luke Marshall, produced a great sound with some pieces very reminiscent of David Yazbek’s music in the Full Monty. However, the sound balance wasn’t quite right at times with the band nearly drowning out the singers. Sound quality otherwise was excellent.

This fast-paced show was tremendous fun – great performances by everyone on stage, bucket-loads of humour and some fantastic music. It was a really wonderful evening’s entertainment. Thank you.

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