UK Theatre Network

Moliere’s – The Hypochondriac

Tuesday September 29^th 2009, Richmond Theatre.

“regrette.. regrette.. ..je ne regrette rien”, are the opening words spoken by the main character Argan, played by Clive Francis (a bit of a John Cleese look-a-like) on showing the contents of his bedpan to the audience.

He proceeds to read out his notices from Monsieur Apothecary giving the fee he must pay for each treatment.  All are outrageously expensive.

Enter Toinette, the maid, played by Leanne Best, who appears to be speaking in a Yorkshire accent.  His daughter Angelique, played by Lucinda Raikes, follows closely.  While her father is away Angelique speaks of her ‘mon cher’ otherwise known as Cleante (Jake Harders). Toinette encourages her to explore this, saying “you’ll find out what his intentions are soon enough”.

On Argan’s return he tries to put his reasons across to Toinette as to why he wishes his daughter to marry a medic.  He would then have a son-in-law who could cure all of his ailments.  Toinette’s response is “’tis sacrifice your daughter’s happiness”. Argan, not valuing her feelings, quickly responds with “..her mind is like a bed.  She can unmake it”.

(Exit Toinette and enter Beline, Argan’s wife, played by Brigid Zengeni, who later shows us her refined singing voice).

Toinette comes back in after Argan has explained to his wife, who has kicked him in the groin and refused his sexual advances, by saying “sex could prove fateful!”.  This behaviour shows  he must be fit and well to want to have sex with her. Cue for Bonnefoi to enter, a prospective lawyer, played by Chris Porter (who also plays Monsieur Fleurant and Doctor Purgeon).  He has obviously been invited round by the wife to discuss his fortune with him. His entrance is wonderfully camp with his use of large movements.  All actors display evidence of a huge commitment to movement skills and experience in physical theatre.

He persuasively says to Argan “My advice would be to hire an advisor like me”.

Roger McGough adapts the piece beautifully, managing to successfully pull out Moliere’s use of word play and, although The Hypochondriac’s origins lie in France, there is a great deal of British style lavatory humour within it.

Toinette then introduces Cleante to Argan as his daughter’s new music teacher.  She encourages him to refer to her master as looking more like ‘a corpse on legs’, rather than say he looks well.

When we observe the two lovers in each others company it is a prime example of Moliere's way of scrutinising all members of society. …total overplay so that no character should ever be taken too seriously.

“Angelique, you must be of good grace”, Toinette advises so as not to give any inkling to her father that she is bethrothed to another.

Enter father (Diaforus, Neil Caple) and son (Thomas, Toby Danyzic), both of whom are doctors by profession, announcing “We have both taken the hypocritical oath”.

Such a scene-stealer of a scene by Toby Danyzic that he makes it hard for the others to steal it back.  Moving a lot from the hip, he speaks firstly to Angelique, his bride-to-be.  Refering to his face changing as he sees her ‘great firey orbs’.

Argan’s,  secretly laughing inside but making every attempt to take him seriously, replies  “How about that then”.

When the suitor mentions his thesis and pawns it off to Toinette, she says: “.. I shall put it in the closet where the master keeps his faeses”.

This is a clever example of Roger McGough’s adaptation of Moliere’s play on words.

All the characters we have met thus far are present at the supposed music lesson between Cleante and Angelique, which is completely improvised.

The father who is growing impatient enquires “does this go on for very long?!”

Angelique is slow to realize that the almost operatic-style story they are recounting is, in fact, her’s and Cleante’s own love story.

They continue, allowing their musical chant a more folkie edge, in an attempt to draw back her father’s interest.

The pace picks up once more and the finale is brought to a close when they all rejoice in a dance. That is, all except for Argan who ends it abruptly when he says “That’s enough for one day.  Eternity, I’d say!”

His wife enters, giving her son-in-law-to-be the opportune moment to deliver his spiel to her but the ever impatient and flouncy Beline brushes it off, not allowing him a window to complete it.

“I know your little scheme, Madame”, says Angelique to her step-mother who wishes her out of the way so she can get her hands on her father’s fortune.  Thomas interjects with one of his Greek proverbs.  It’s so painful that the rest of them appear as if  contemplating suicide, while we, the audience are doubled-up in pain.

Argan ends their pain by saying “I’ve had enough”, giving his daughter the ultimatum of marrying his chosen suitor or be sent to a convent.

(The doctors leave.)

The wife then seizes the opportunity to reveal to her husband the true identity of Angelique’s music teacher. I felt it bore resemblance to a scene from ‘The Taming of the Shrew’.

(Act I closes).

Act II opens but, during the interval I learnt that McGough, who adapted ‘The Hypochondriac’, also adapted Moliere’s ‘Tartuffe’.  I find his writing beautifully written, capturing the essence of the original text and the newness of modern day.

In the first scene we are introduced to a new character, Argan’s brother Beralde (Simon Coates), who speaks with a relatively heightened RP accent compared to the rest of the cast.  What is the reason for this, I ask?  He quizzes Argan over his wife’s motives and the true meaning behind their marriage. “She’s your angel of mercy for self gain” (Beralde) and as for his brother’s opinion on his doctors: “They know their Classics to terrify you in Latin”.

Here a reference is made to Moliere whom Argan’s character is based upon, as he himself was suffering from tuberculosis in the latter years of his life.

Doctor Purgeon uses his scaremongering tactics as a means to try and extract more money from Argan, “..and finally, the most dreaded ‘d’ of all”, Toinette interrupting with the questionable answer “Dandruff?”, seeing him as merely taking advantage of her master, which calls for drastic measures to be taken.  She decides to  disguise herself as an Italian doctor.

Argan says: “You look awfully like my maid!”

Response: “Well, one thing led to another and then, he tried to kiss me” (Toinette as dr.)

An experiment is then carried out on Argan’s wife.  He plays dead to see how she reacts.  She is absolutely over the moon at the idea and says outloud to herself “Best the family think him alive till I alter the will”, giving Argan the impulse to jump up, now realizing she was in it for the money.

A similar experiment is carried out on daughter Angelique, whose response is much more kindly, saying: “..with no-one to comfort him.  He died alone” and on speaking to Cleante, her betrothed, she says to him “..should you think of marriage, don’t think of me”.

Argan comes back to life at this point, when she is prepared to give herself to the Lord, his request should she not follow out his instructions. He draws the conclusion that all shall be well if Cleante becomes a doctor, saying “Why didn’t I think of it before?!”

And with Argan’s brother commenting,“Is there a disease you haven’t had? You’re a walking encyclopaedia!”, a pretend examination and award ceremony is carried out on a similar par to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, to make Argan believe he is a fully-fledged, qualified doctor and can treat himself.

All the action is brought to a close with the actors bursting in to song.

If one were to sum up this production in one short sentence, one could describe it as ‘A charmingly cheerful weekday pick-you-up!”