Candida Review

Candida

Theatre Royal Bath

After the nightmare that was Heartbreak House last year, this production of George Bernard Shaw's Candida was a revelation for me. The play is set in the house of the Reverand James Morell. As a Christian socialist he indulges in giving ideological speeches everyday to his fellow parishioners, and he has narrow views on his role as a Christian and husband to  Candida Morell. After playing a fantastic Henry V last year, Jamie Parker succeeds as this righteous minister who proudly lectures everyone in the household, whilst verbally attacking anyone who does not fit into his little world.

One of these people is a young aristocratic poet, Eugene Marchbanks. The youth has become infatuated with James' wife, Candida, and he tells James outright that she would be better off with himself. James then pursues a battle against both Eugene and his own conscience as he wrestles with the thought that Candida does not love him. Meanwhile, Frank Dillane portrays this shy and inexperienced poet who is experiencing love for the first time. He has sudden moments of bluntness, confidence, pride and cunning like a child hitting puberty. Like James he is a bit self-centered, boring Candida with his lengthy poems whilst struggling to understand why she still loves James and how the couple manage their conventional domestic life. 

At the centre of attention is Charity Wakefield, who makes for a cheery, kind and caring Candida. She also portrays the character that Shaw had in mind when writing the play, independently minded and running the establishment instead of James. Indeed, what I enjoyed about this play is that despite James' flaws, everyone in the Morell Household are presented as equals, without having Bernard Shaw shoving his ideals down our throats. This sense of equality, is represented wonderfully by Jo Herbert as James' secretary, Proserpine Garnett. Stern and strict, she is a professional at her job.

James Morell's influence outside his house is also made apparent by two characters. Edwin Thomas plays a curatenand, Alexander (Lexy) Mill, and he is in awe of James and the support that he gives to the lower classes. Giving an opposing view is James' father-in-law, Mr Burgess, played by understudy (David Troughton was off for personal reasons), Christopher Godwin. Although the old man asks James at the start for forgiveness, he is a businessman who discriminates against his workers. He also displays a misogynist attitude towards Proserpine to her disgust. Overall George Bernard Shaw does get to show that everyone has a part to play in making the household run like clockwork.

It is a shame therefore that he stumbles during the second act. I give him credit that in comparison to Heartbreak House the characters in this play feel rounded, and I had a good idea of what was going on. However I did guess who Candida would choose in the end, and the dialogue in the second act feels like Shaw's own dissertation on why this is. He even brings in an altogether new aspect to the characters. Like Heartbreak House I had to keep reminding myself of what the characters are talking about and it is only by reading up on the play that I fully comprehend what exactly Bernard Shaw was trying to convey.

It is not as though I have a bias against his writing. The first act shows that he can produce a well written play, yet he could not help himself by turning the second act into a lecture on his ideals. I was expecting to give Candida a Low Full Price during the interval, but although the second act is a disappointment there are some wonderful performances to enjoy amongst the cast. I would recommend this at a High Bargain.