The Jamie Lloyd Theatre company production of Cyrano De Bergerac has just finished in the West End but it is going to New York soon. I saw the play for the dress rehearsal when the company were doing a pay-as-much-as-you-can showing as part of their ‘theatre is for all’ campaign. As a student it can be difficult to afford theatre and I think it’s such a great idea to get more young people or people who can’t afford it to go and see a play. Often theatre is regarded as this portentous thing for the wealthy so I think it is so great that the company are trying to make it as accessible as possible.
The play Cyrano De Bergerac follows ‘Cyrano, a talented 17th-century playwright [and soldier] who pursues a woman named Roxane. While he may seem to have a glittering career, his outlook on life is plagued by narcissistic views around him, as Cyrano uses language in order to allure his lover.’ It’s a heartbreaking love story focusing on Cyrano, Roxane and Christian (a new fellow soldier who is more physically attractive than Cyrano but does not have his mind for words and language).
The play itself completely blew me away – I knew it was gong to be a reboot of the classic play (written by Edmund Rostand in 1897) with a modern spin and probably quite paired back as it was directed by Jamie Lloyd. But it completely brought the story into the modern day – making the poetry seem more like rap, giving poetry this ‘cool’ spin and injecting some youth back into it.
The staging was paired back, just concrete walls and floor laid bare except from a few microphones and stands and some stairs when it came to the battle scene. The microphones on stage really emphasised the themes of the importance of having a voice and the power of the spoken word. To me the play really encapsulated the phrase-
“The pen is mightier than the sword” – that words can wield just as much, if not more, power and importance.
This is a message really relevant today, in our world of questioning authority- asking the questions of who should have power and why. And showing the importance of welding the power of words whilst also being wary of them as they may not be the speakers own.
James McAvoy plays the titular role of Cyrano. They have chosen to have this character without the traditional over the top large nose, choosing instead to draw attention to the other more important themes in the play; from unrequited love, to vanity, to what manliness looks like, to the power that words can wield.
The character of Roxane, played by Anita-joy Uwajeh, is given a modern day reboot as well giving her much more prominence and a voice in the play. Roxane is Cyrano’s love interest in the play, but this adaptation makes her less passive.
Overall, this play was breathtaking, completely transforming a classic into the modern day reminding us of how important words are. All performances by the actors were phenomenal, using staging like above to emphasise some of the plays most important themes. If you are heading to New York, or live there, and looking for something to see I would really recommend checking this play out – it will blow you away.
Accalia smith 