The School for Scandal (1950s)

The School for Scandal goes back to the 1950s in a new version of Sheridan's classic, fast-paced comedy. In a society awash with gossip, Lady Sneerwell and her snake-like assistant ruin the reputations of their rich friends simply for the fun of it. Among the targets are two brothers; Charles a loveable rogue who drinks too much, and Joseph a sanctimonious, two-faced MP. While they compete to win the heart of Maria, they're unaware their wealthy Uncle Oliver and old nanny are secretly testing them to determine who deserves his inheritance. The comely Lady Teazle must fend off the slanderous barbs that have caught the ear of her elderly husband, London's top tittle-tattle Mrs Candour and gossip columnist Benjamin Backbite. Originally set in 1777, award-winning Dave Simms' adaptation sets the story in 1955 when the idle rich were superficial yet sparkling, drinking Pimms and playing croquet on the lawn. Adapted for outdoor performance, this version is can be staged indoors just as easily with little or no set. The play is accessible to younger audiences thanks to its easy-to-understand language. 11 roles with doubling including more roles for women. Reviews: "A tale of the absurd ugliness of the human spirit - mischief, malice, vanity and duplicity. Richard Sheridan's comedy of manners which, full of greed and envy and lies, lies, lies, is alive and relevant and wickedly entertaining centuries later. Dave Simms has chosen to bring the 1777 world forward to the 1950s wherein there was still a fairly rigid English class system and gossip columnists had Princess Margaret's love life as grist for a tabloid mill. The transition works a treat." The Barefoot Review"Sheridan's story updates to the London of 1955 very neatly, thanks to Simms's judicious textual tweaks...updated language makes the play instantly accessible to contemporary ears...the story is about gossip, hypocrisy, greed, the playboy lifestyle, deception, celebrity couples, infidelity and an opportunistic politician. In short, the plot is as fresh as a Trump tweet, and just as tacky. Filthy-rich Sir Oliver comes back from years of living in the East Indies and wants to know whether his two nephews deserve to inherit his wealth. The two nephews, Charles and Joseph, both fancy Maria. Sir Peter Teazle has just married a very young woman from the country, after living as a confirmed bachelor for years. Lady Sneerwell takes an active delight in inventing gossip when facts are in short supply. In this she is aided by her assistant, Miss Snake, the gossip columnist Ben Backbite, and Olympian scandalmonger, Mrs Candour. Stir vigorously with a celery stick and serve." Glam Adelaide