Theatre Review: Cyrano de Puppet
A Mermaid’s Production
23/10/23-24/10/23
Directed by: Lara Thain
Produced by: Bethan Chalmers
Written by: Kilda Kennedy
Review by Olivia Durie-Mains
Cyrano de Puppet is an adaptation of the 1897 play, Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmond Rostand. The original play follows a sketch of Cyrano de Bergerac’s life in 1640s France. The creative team adapted this play, centring around the inclusion of puppets to, in their words, answer the question; “is it better to be a handsome puppet or an ugly man?”.
The story follows poet Cyrano (Thomas Scott) and the subject of his deep adoration, Roxanne (Piper Richardson). Cyrano falls for Roxanne while Roxanne falls for the devilishly handsome, yet inarticulate, puppet, Christian (Lewis Fitez). The play is a development of the love between Roxanne and Christian at the hands of Cyrano’s genius poetry, passed off to be Christians.
The creative team have a charming and inspirational story, beginning as flatmates in 2020 they bonded over their love of theatre. Later they worked on Too Much Light Made the Baby Go Blind together and expressed their fondness for working with actors they had never had the privilege to work with before in this production. They noted that all the actors had different degrees of experience and in different stages in their degree, some even making their stage debut that night. The creative team emphasised their commitment to a lighthearted and relaxed rehearsal room, where the actors felt comfortable with the intense intimacy and had fun - and even received stickers just for showing up! I can confirm that this bond between the cast is evident to the audience.
I caught up with Willa Meloth, an experienced stage technician who was in charge of lighting and sound. Having completed the tech rehearsal on the afternoon of the 23rd, she noted the simplicity of lighting in the production but felt it fitting and straightforward for the small stage at the top of the Byre. Willa’s professionalism and experience were apparent as the play was executed beautifully without a technical hitch to be seen!
Walking into the theatre, after I was warmly greeted by the creative and technical teams I noticed the adorable hand-puppet theatre on the stage was accompanied by the song “Am I a Man or Am I a Muppet” from the beloved 2011 film The Muppets. I was startled and my entire idea of the show disintegrated as I wondered if this was play’s tone. It was. The audience buzzed with tangible excitement.
Act One was full of hilarity, dramatic irony, murder, and even some Shakespeare. By the end of Act One I had picked my stand-out performance (Mackenzie Galbraith’s De Guiche), laughed a lot, and the only real criticism I had was the confusing setting of the play. In almost all aspects the production seemed to be an entirely modern adaptation; from the iPhone, Katy Perry reference, and abundant profanity, which jarred with the period costume design.
I was treated to some more muppet-themed songs before Act Two took a far more serious tone. Cyrano and Christian’s deceptive love letters to Roxanne begin to take a toll on both players and the introduction of the war contributed to this. The second act still had plenty to make the audience laugh in between. The war scenes were reminiscent of the final episode of Blackadder in the Trenches however, farcical stage fighting made this a tad jarring at times.
The cast overall was wonderful. We are taken through the show by the narrator, a fantastic edition from the writer. Our narrator, Louise Mountbatton-Windsor, consistently treated us to engaging and well-elocuted storytelling. The ensemble had a tremendous presence in the show and largely contributed to its success. Despite some awkward staging and underestimation of the projection needed, even in a small theatre, I must say they beautifully performed the role in providing both comedy and support to the other actors. A particular stroke of genius from the creative team was their anticipation of the audience as the ironic drama school bits were met with an audible burst of laughter.
The four supporting roles must also be congratulated on their success. All players contributed particularly to the farce, hilarity, and some wonderfully timed incest humour.
The principal performances were dynamic, emotive, and well-defined. Roxanne, played by Piper Richardson, offered a fantastic driving force to the competition between the men of the play before offering a wonderfully nuanced feminist monologue, encapsulating her character development and adding a deeper layer to the play. Her performance was provoking. Cyrano, played by Thomas Scott, was similarly well-executed and just as impressive, delivering exquisitely moving monologues. At times Cyrano and Roxanne seemed to lack the passionate chemistry at the heart of the play, Scott’s unrequited desire and Richardson’s ignorance, but otherwise, the pair worked very well together. Now, Christian, played by Lewis Fitez. The inspired gamble to turn a Christian from a human, into a puppet was undoubtedly a success. Fitez’s puppeteering and articulation added a light, ludicrous aspect which had the audience belly-laughing and aching with sympathy.
One absolute stand-out that I must note is Mackenzie Galbraith’s De Guiche. Galbraith has impeccable comedic timing, an extravagant performance, and a heart-wrenching final scene. The character and the truly professional standard of performance elevated the role and the play in its entirety.
I would like to offer a final and massive congratulations to the entire team. Cyrano de Puppet is a gem in the Mermaids crown. My only real complaint is that I still have “Am I a Man, or Am I a Muppet” stuck in my head. I highly recommend snatching a ticket for their final performance on Tuesday 24th October and if you don't, definitely keep an eye out for any of the cast and crew to catch in an upcoming performance.
