Review: ARCADIA at Old Vic

10 years after my Hellenic-sojourn, Tom Stoppard chose ARCADIA as the title for his 1993 play, which Trevor Nunn directed at the National Theatre and which went on to win both the Olivier and Evening Standard awards for best play. At the time, it was universally lauded for its wit, and capacity to clearly elucidate theoretical scientific concepts, whilst simultaneously invoking the romanticism of Lord Byron, duels and the pre-industrial rolling English countryside. That it managed to convey these things cheek-by-jowl with a present day literature academic’s over-urgent desire to make a name for himself, simply demonstrated the playwright’s extraordinary capacity for incorporating deeply researched topics in an entirely entertaining and accessible way for laymen theatregoers.

The beauty and erudition in Stoppard’s masterpiece is writ large in director Carrie Cracknell’s production which opened this week at the Old Vic. Presented in the round, Alex Eales’s set is adorned with a few simple sticks of early 19th century furniture beneath illuminated suspended globes. The multiplicity of leather-bound books, candles, Coke cans and even Lightning the tortoise serve as the props needed to round out the story which is set entirely within the English country house of the Coverly family, but at two distinctly different periods a little under two hundred years apart.

During the earlier period, the extensive grounds are in considerable disarray as landscape gardener Richard Noakes (Gabriel Akuwudike) has begun his redesign works, causing the disapproving mistress of the house Lady Croom (Fiona Button) to dub him Culpability Brown. An astute young girl Thomasina (a radiant Isis Hainsworth), discusses and theorises on scientific matters with her tutor Septimus Hodge (Seamus Dillane). His earthy charisma and intellect have not gone unnoticed by Lady Croom nor her house guest (the unseen Mrs Chater) although her cuckolded husband Mr Chater (Matthew Steer) a derided and untalented poet, seems determined to fight a duel in defence of her equally derided honour. Various missives which allude to trysts and challenges are delivered and become secreted between the pages of certain volumes. Meanwhile in more recent times, a comically self-assured literary researcher Bernard Nightingale (Prasanna Puwanarajah) arrives seeking an audience with successful writer/author Hannah Jarvis (Leila Farzad) who is engaged to the Croom’s descendent and present master of the house Valentine Coverly (Angus Cooper).

If Bernard is to prove his theory that Lord Byron fought a duel resulting in Mr Chater’s death before escaping to the Continent two hundred years before, the letters secreted in books known to be in the poet’s possession provide only the basis for a tantalising proposition. Association with the family, and more specifically access to their library, will likely unearth further evidence to add much needed provenance in support of his woolly hypothesis. Valentine however, is consumed by the altogether weightier matter that Thomasina’s graphs and mathematical theorems from centuries earlier, marked her out as an extraordinary and unsung genius in her own right.

There is an unbridled joy in hearing Stoppard’s intelligence and wordcraft delivered by a troupe of universally accomplished players, so it is perhaps surprising that this is the first London revival of ARCADIA since 2009. I would therefore urge anyone who enjoys funny and intelligent theatre to make every effort to see the Old Vic’s production it before it closes on 21^st March. Among the many famous faces who attended Wednesday evening’s opening night, were Robert Lindsay, Toby Jones, Graham Norton, Meera Syal, Damian Lewis, Emily Maitlis, Russell Tovey, George Styles and David Baddiel.

Arcadia Tickets