Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble’s 2024 season has kicked off with Molière’s rip-roaring satire Tartuffe.

Tartuffe was first performed in 1664 at the Palace of Versailles, where the Archbishop of Paris and members of the French Catholic Church had the play cancelled for its controversial themes. In 1667, a second instalment, The Imposter, was performed before also being promptly banned. In 1669, a third version was presented, which is the version that was published and still exists today.

The action centres around Orgon, a wealthy landowner who becomes infatuated with Tartuffe, a conman posing as a pious man of the cloth. Despite warnings from his family, Orgon makes grand plans to marry his daughter to Tartuffe and make him his heir. The family conspires to expose Tartuffe’s true nature, leading to a dramatic yet hilarious confrontation that critiques the dangers of blind faith and hypocrisy.

Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble (QSE) presented a contemporary translation of the script that retained the rhyming couplets but ensured audience understanding and engagement. Director Rebecca Murphy’s choice to tweak the ending felt on-brand with the comic tone of the play.

Established in 2001, QSE is known for its community initiatives which include Shakespeare Beyond: A Night At The Theatre, where patrons are invited to donate the price of a ticket. QSE works with community partners such as the Australian Red Cross, Communify, Brisbane Youth Services, and Arafmi to share tickets with people who might not have the opportunity to experience live theatre.

QSE is also a training ground for classical actors and runs an annual Apprentice program, which serves as a pathway into their Core Ensemble. All the current Core Ensemble members were featured in the cast of Tartuffe.

 

Meg Bennett, Angus Thorburn and Rob Pensalfini.

In the title role, QSE co-founder and Artistic Director Rob Pensalfini excelled in capturing the charismatic, love-sick (con) man of the church yearning for the affection of Orgon’s wife Elmire, played with convincing gravitas by Meg Bennett. Pensalfini’s Tartuffe was charming, lovable and oh-so-funny. Some of his best moments occurred in Act One when he was in full charm mode, and he even had me convinced that his feelings were justified.

Angus Thorburn played the oblivious master of the house, Orgon, capturing the right blend of frustration and disdain for his foolishness. Rebekah Schmidt had the crowd laughing as the mouthy maid, Dorine, the one who really seemed to run the house.

Leah Mustard was suitably girlish as daughter Mariane, and together with Scott Mair, as love interest Valère, they made a cute couple.

In this production, Cléante, Damis, and Monsieur Loyal / the Officer were portrayed by female actors, which added an interesting dynamic to the performance. While this choice felt inconsequential for Loyal and the Officer, there was a slight disconnect for Cléante and Damis. As the only two men in the house other than Orgon, Cléante is the voice of reason and protective brother of Elmire, while son Damis is the passionate male heir who is disinherited and cast out in favour of Tartuffe (with other child Mariane being betrothed to him). Having the actors in male attire while using she/her pronouns created some confusion. If the choice to use female actors was a logistical one, the opportunity to lean into re-imaging these characters as women (or embracing the challenge to fully embody them as men), may have been missed. That said, those unfamiliar with the original version may not have thought twice about it.

Set design by Josh Murphy was functional and portable and included a chaise longue, table and frames for doors and windows. Tim James’ lighting supported the set with bright washes in purples and yellows. Costuming by Asia Beck Jijnasu had a distinct flair and there were some fun dance moments with choreography by Rebecca Murphy.

Tartuffe still has a wide audience appeal with relatable themes and an entertaining storyline. QSE’s interpretation promises an enjoyable and accessible night out at the theatre with some guaranteed laughs. It is playing until 28th July at PIP Theatre, 20 Park Road Milton Qld 4064.

Tickets: https://piptheatre.org/tartuffe/

Further info: https://qldshakespeare.org/tartuffe/

 

Photo credit: Benjamin Prindable Photography