Tartuffe (Remixed)
Review by James
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Darren Raymond’s deftly written reimagining of Moliére’s Tartuffe has opened at London’s Marylebone Theatre with some serious star power.
The storied 17th Century comedy is given new life as a London-set wedding brings together Jamaican and Nigerian families for their fateful encounter with swindling Anglican clergyman Pastor Blake (Mark Rylance).
Acting royalty, Rylance is no stranger to the West End and is to be applauded for his embrace of Intermission Youth theatre company to deliver this exciting, side-splitting new production.
While his performance doesn't touch the lofty heights of his unforgettable award-winning lead role in Jerusalem, Rylance is clearly enjoying every moment as the conniving Pastor Blake defrauds his trusting marks. As the truly great comedy actor that he is, Rylance commands the stage with a twinkle in his eye and is endlessly inventive with the use of his dazzling prosthetic teeth.
Inconsistency and the odd miscue across the cast can be forgiven with a number making West End debuts, yet in Morenike Onajobi (Kemi) Intermission may have unearthed a future gem. Nakeba Buchanan (step-mum Elmire) and Suzette Llewellyn (the no nonsense and deeply religious Grandma) bring a powerful and relatable mother-daughter dynamic that brings a whole lot of heart to the second half.
The fast-paced rhyming couplets - delivered in Jamaican, Nigerian and London dialects - organically carries you through the living room drama as cultures collide. Such is the speed at which the families go at each other though, the transitions between scenes feel clunky and laborious with props continuing to be moved around while the play resumes at several points.
Beneath the hilarious chaos - including several memorable rewind sequences - sits a contemporary commentary on the legacy of colonialism with Rylance’s white church leader taking advantage of the two families’ religious deference and devotion.
A bold reimagining of a classic and Mark Rylance in a tiny theatre - an unmissable combo.