Tartuffe - Western Morning News

The tale concerns a scheming opportunist, who is welcomed into a stately house by its owner, the foolish and gullible Orgon. No matter who advises Orgon of his folly, he persists in allowing Tartuffe to ingratiate himself and simultaneously woo both the lady of the house and her daughter. Ignoring all the warnings, Orgon is eventually persuaded to sign over everything he owns to Tartuffe.

It's the sort of nonsensical story which Miracle's director, Bill Scott, is so adept at adapting for a modern audience, his previous triumphs ranging from the fantastic Case Of The Frightened Lady to the equally wonderful Government Inspector, Quasimodo, Beggar's Opera, Hamlet and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Few people who have seen the company's most recent outings – Cat's Cradle, The Taming Of The Shrew and The Time Machine – can fail to have been impressed by the cast and company's creative and technical ambition. They are masters of comedy whose ability to keep their audiences laughing continuously for a full two hours is quite a feat. Their latest show may not reach such heights but, with such expectations, this is perhaps inevitable sometimes.

The play is called Tartuffe. The protagonist is a cad and a chancer called Tartuffe. Yet Tartuffe doesn't appear until we are well into the first act – which is a shame because until he arrives the production lacks any real pace, purpose or humour. However, when he does turn up, Ben Dyson, who has appeared in a number of Miracle shows, is a perfect Tartuffe. Like Rowan Atkinson, Dyson possesses a body designed for comedy and is a skilled, clever and thoughtful performer. He illuminates the stage with leering physicality, mock menace and an absurdly foppish hairstyle which is surely modelled on The Simpsons' Sideshow Bob. Dyson is an actor who always properly inhabits the character and in this case brings a particular kind of weirdness to the part – so much so that even though Tartuffe is no loveable rogue, if it was put to the vote the audience would choose the rotter to grab the Orgon fortune.

There are some other nice touches in the show, particularly Lollie Brewer's opinionated, disrespectful maid who is as astute as Orgon is stupid. Holly Kavanagh, making a very promising debut for Miracle, is delightful as Orgon's frightened daughter. Her attempted suicides – smothered with a cushion and hanged by a ribbon – are superb, while her expressions of coyness, indignation and sheer bafflement are extremely well judged. "I can't help being this timid!" she shouts. Meanwhile, a scene in which Orgon (Ben Dyson) conceals himself in the petticoats of his wife (Kate Lamerton Wilde) in order to learn Tartuffe's true intentions is classic Miracle. Simon Parker