School For Scandal

Update is a good word for this production at the New Theatre. Gossip is rife in Richard Sheridan’s School For Scandal when Lady Sneerwell decides to reduce the many women around her to her level. What follows is an 18th century soap opera on steroids, with larger than life characters brought to, well, life by a troupe of meticulous actors at the New.

Standout performances include Sasha Dyer as Maria. Her ‘bit’ of sliding on and off a lounge was well timed and executed. Billy Scott emphasises the old adage “no small parts, only small actors” as his OTT Snake is good fun, but given in just the right dosage. 

Director David Burrowes has done a decent job in contemporising the world of the play. However, the loud dance tracks were a bit of a miss and actually felt rather tacky. All actors had a great sense of skill within their comic timing, and it was good to see yet another large cast play/tackle a tough text with energy and enthusiasm, something the New is very adept at.