She Stoops to Conquer - National Theatre
Pro reviewers average
2013-05-19
Hardcastle, a man of substance, looks forward to acquainting his daughter with his old pal’s son with a view to marriage. But thanks to playboy Lumpkin, he’s mistaken by his prospective son in-law Marlow for an innkeeper, his daughter for the l...
Hardcastle, a man of substance, looks forward to acquainting his daughter with his old pal’s son with a view to marriage. But thanks to playboy Lumpkin, he’s mistaken by his prospective son in-law Marlow for an innkeeper, his daughter for the local barmaid. The good news is, while Marlow can barely speak to a woman of quality he’s a charmer with those of a different stamp. And so, as Hardcastle’s indignation intensifies, Miss Hardcastle’s appreciation for her misguided suitor soars. Misdemeanours multiply, love blossoms, mayhem ensues.
To come to my house, to call for what he likes, to turn me out of my own chair, to insult the family, to order his servants to get drunk, and then to tell me, “This house is mine, sir”. By all that’s impudent it makes me laugh.
One of the great, generous-hearted and ingenious comedies of the English language, Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer offers a celebration of chaos, courtship and the dysfunctional family.
This little barmaid though runs in my head most strangely, and drives out the absurdities of all the rest of the family. She’s mine, she must be mine, or I’m greatly mistaken.
Show Details
| Running dates | from Jan 24 2012 to Apr 21 2012 |
| Theatre | National Theatre |
| Pro Average | |
| Peer Average | |
| My Rating | Review This Show |
| Cheapest ticket | £12 |
| Most expensive ticket | £45 |
| West End Whingers | Full Review | |
| Libby Purves (The Times) | Full Review | |
| Charles Spencer (The Telegraph) | Full Review | |
| Michael Billington (The Guardian) | Full Review | |
| Paul Taylor (The Independent) | Full Review | |
| Michael Coveney (What's on Stage, Independent) | Full Review | |
| Henry Hitchings (Evening Standard) | Full Review | |
| Sarah Hemming (Financial Times) | Full Review | |
| Quentin Letts (Daily Mail) | Full Review | |
| Andrzej Lukowski (Time Out) | Full Review |
| Chris Walsh | ||
| Mary Tapper | ||
| The Red Queen | ||
| Cabe Franklin | Three perfectly enjoyable hours - and while I might have preferred it to be a bit shorter, that doesn't take anything away from the achievement. The cast is strong throughout and all deftly handle the pivots between playing to each other and making asides to the audience. (Oddly, having a side seat was worse than usual, since they deliver all asides to the middle of the room.) A safe bet. | |
| Donard | ||
| Caroline Webb | ||
| Sorrow Pennefather | ||
| An entertaining night out, not amazing, but amusing. |
Overview, Cast and Creatives
| Genre | Drama, Comedy | |
| Synopsis | ||
| Hardcastle, a man of substance, looks forward to acquainting his daughter with his old pal’s son with a view to marriage. But thanks to playboy Lumpkin, he’s mistaken by his prospective son in-law Marlow for an innkeeper, his daughter for the local barmaid. The good news is, while Marlow can barely speak to a woman of quality he’s a charmer with those of a different stamp. And so, as Hardcastle’s indignation intensifies, Miss Hardcastle’s appreciation for her misguided suitor soars. Misdemeanours multiply, love blossoms, mayhem ensues. To come to my house, to call for what he likes, to turn me out of my own chair, to insult the family, to order his servants to get drunk, and then to tell me, “This house is mine, sir”. By all that’s impudent it makes me laugh. One of the great, generous-hearted and ingenious comedies of the English language, Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer offers a celebration of chaos, courtship and the dysfunctional family. This little barmaid though runs in my head most strangely, and drives out the absurdities of all the rest of the family. She’s mine, she must be mine, or I’m greatly mistaken. |
||
| Author | Oliver Goldsmith | |
| Director | Jamie Lloyd | |
| Featured Actors/Actresses | Oliver Jackson | |
| Sarah Moyle | ||
| Zoë Rainey | ||
| Matthew Seadon-Young | ||
| Russell Wilcox | ||
| Sophie Thompson | ||
| Gavin Spokes | ||
| Steve Pemberton | ||
| Katherine Kelly | ||
| Cush Jumbo | ||
| John Heffernan | ||
| Harry Hadden-Paton | ||
| David Fynn | ||
| Jonathan Glew | ||
| Terry Doe | ||
| Stavros Demetraki | ||
| Amy Booth-Steel | ||
| Designer | Mark Thompson | |
| Lighting Designer | Neil Austin | |
| Sound | Ben and Max Ringham | |
| Movement/Choreography | Ann Yee | |
| Music | Ben and Max Ringham | |