Theatre
Review
Review: Cyrano de Bergerac
The RSC’s reimagining of Edmond Rostand’s classic is the definition of a triumph
This summer welcomes back two giants of the stage: Adrian Lester and his prosthetic nose. The nose in question is certainly theatre’s most famous, worn by countless actors over the years to portray poet, soldier and lover Cyrano de Bergerac. Can any man be loved sporting such an eyesore? This is one of the questions Cyrano has wrestled with over so many different productions, from Rostand’s original play to the many English translations to have appeared in the following 120 years, and now in the RSC’s new revival. The other, and more important: how much are words worth?
Cyrano, the greatest wit in Paris, has long been in love with childhood friend Roxane. But when Roxane falls for handsome farmer-turned-reserve-soldier Christian and demands a letter from him, Cyrano’s services as a poet and wordsmith are called upon. Christian cannot write a letter to save his life, so Cyrano supplies him with the words. The ensuing events are ripe for much farce, much romance and much tragedy.
This sparkling modern version is brought magnificently to the stage by director and co-adaptor Simon Evans and co-adaptor Debris Stevenson. Their script follows the Shakespearean tradition more closely than it does Rostand’s alexandrine-adjacent form, blending prose and verse, punctuating Cyrano’s speeches or his and Roxanne’s warring wits with the occasional triumphant couplet. There are plenty of laughs to be had here too – some bawdy – but true to Rostand’s original work is the show’s unapologetic, unabashed sentimentality. And fittingly, Adrian Lester as Cyrano is its beating heart.
Despite the many, many versions of Cyrano de Bergerac that have come before, Lester somehow manages to convince you that he’s originating the role. His Cyrano is dry, agile, hilarious as the role necessitates, and incredibly easy to love. The speed and ease with which he wins our hearts only serves to underscore the tragedy in his own self-perception – to his audience, he is so obviously worthy of the woman he loves. Unbelievably charismatic and deeply moving, Lester’s Cyrano will surely be one of the defining theatrical performances of this year.
He’s supported too by a brilliant company, meeting his match in the electric Susannah Fielding as Roxane. Levi Brown plays Christian with an earnestness impossible not to fall for, whilst Scott Handy is fantastic as the posturing, cowardly Comte de Guiche. Fantastic too are Cyrano’s band, a capable team of actor-musicians who pursue him from scene to scene.
Grace Smart’s set and costume design marries period and modernity beautifully, transporting us somewhere deeply romantic but not wholly unfamiliar. Evans plays with moments of audience participation and utilises the Noël Coward Theatre beyond its stage, but knows where to stop before breaking the immersion. Theatre swordplay is clunky more times than not, but Bethan Clark’s fight choreography creates convincing action sequences, whilst Joshie Harriette’s lighting and Donato Wharton’s sound guide us into battle. At the centre of it all is the art of finding the right words, and Cyrano’s cinematic moment of reflection on this art as his men chant beside him, facing down the enemy, exemplifies everything that Evans’ Cyrano de Bergerac does right.
It’s a triumph of a show all around, served to perfection by its creative team, all the better for the fact that Rostand’s script and character are allowed to evolve. A quick wit must keep with the times. Cyrano is more than up to the challenge.
Cyrano de Bergerac is playing at the Noël Coward Theatre until 5 September – find tickets here
