The Marriage-Go-Round. A classic at Perth riding the merry-go-round of marriage again.
Photo: Jean-Denis Labelle
Set up as his and her takes on marital values, The Marriage-Go-Round by Leslie Stevens was well received as a stage play in 1958 and bombed as a movie three years later.
The premise of the sex comedy is that college professor Paul Delville and dean of women Content Lowell hit the first rough patch in their 25-years of marital bliss in the form of a blonde, Swedish seductress, intent on Paul being the father of the child she plans to have.
On the brink of infidelity, he continues to lecture on monogamy, while Content seeks advice from her best friend on campus, a married man, who halfheartedly tries to seduce her.
In the Classic Theatre Festival production, director Laurel Smith maximizes pregnant pauses and focuses on the highly expressive faces of Rachel Jones as Content and Scott Clarkson as Paul as the two ride the marriage-go-round with aplomb. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Lagerhőf, as the Swedish siren Katrin, makes a concerted effort to reel Paul in and Kevin Hare, as Ross, delivers his insincere attempt to step up from platonic friend to lover.
David Magladry’s sectioned set is a good fit for the merry-go-round theme (though the empty picture frames are difficult to fathom). Renate Seller’s costumes for Katrin are very effective, but the colour-coordinated outfits for Paul and Content in Act II deliver just a little too much togetherness.
In general, this well-oiled production of The Marriage-Go-Round is as funny as the dated concept can be. The question is whether the script has held up well enough over the years to be worth another go round the block.
The Classic Theatre Festival production of The Marriage-Go-Round continues at the Full Circle Theatre in Perth to September 1, 2013.
The Marriage-Go-Round
By Leslie Stevens
Classic Theatre Festival
Director: Laurel Smith
Set and lighting: David Magladry
Sound: Matthew Behrens
Costumes: Renate Seiler
Cast:
Paul Delville……………………………….Scott Clarkson
Content Lowell…………………………….Rachel Jones
Katrin Sveg………………………………..Elisabeth Lagerlőf
Ross Barnett………………………………..Kevin Hare
values, The Marriage-Go-Round by Leslie Stevens was well received as a stage play in 1958 and bombed as a movie three years later.
The premise of the sex comedy is that college professor Paul Delville and dean of women Content Lowell hit the first rough patch in their 25-years of marital bliss in the form of a blonde, Swedish seductress, intent on Paul being the father of the child she plans to have.
On the brink of infidelity, he continues to lecture on monogamy, while Content seeks advice from her best friend on campus, a married man, who halfheartedly tries to seduce her.
In the Classic Theatre Festival production, director Laurel Smith maximizes pregnant pauses and focuses on the highly expressive faces of Rachel Jones as Content and Scott Clarkson as Paul as the two ride the marriage-go-round with aplomb. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Lagerhőf, as the Swedish siren Katrin, makes a concerted effort to reel Paul in and Kevin Hare, as Ross, delivers his insincere attempt to step up from platonic friend to lover.
David Magladry’s sectioned set is a good fit for the merry-go-round theme (though the empty picture frames are difficult to fathom). Renate Seller’s costumes for Katrin are very effective, but the colour-coordinated outfits for Paul and Content in Act II deliver just a little too much togetherness.
In general, this well-oiled production of The Marriage-Go-Round is as funny as the dated concept can be. The question is whether the script has held up well enough over the years to be worth another go round the block.
The Classic Theatre Festival production of The Marriage-Go-Round continues at the Full Circle Theatre in Perth to September 1, 2013.
Director: Laurel Smith
Set and lighting: David Magladry
Sound: Matthew Behrens
Costumes: Renate Seiler
Cast:
Paul Delville……………………………….Scott Clarkson
Content Lowell…………………………….Rachel Jones
Katrin Sveg………………………………..Elisabeth Lagerlőf
Ross Barnett………………………………..Kevin Hare