Customer Reviews

The School for Scandal (Broadway Theatre Archive)

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4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This Broadway Theatre Archive production took one of the wittiest, most sparkling 18th-century comedies--and ruined it. The costumes are intentionally absurd (think Beach Blanket Babylon), the acting is way over-the-top-camp, and the incidental music could not be worse. The music, BTW, is a combination of pop Renaissance and pop modern; anything but 18th century. The director appears to have had the goal of showing that his company was just too hip and too modern to do anything but make fun of this silly, fusty old play.

I like "The School for Scandal" very much, and not having found any other DVDs of it, I started out with the intention of keeping a recording of even a bad production. But when they got into the extended bop-be-bop of the drinking song scene, I knew I just couldn't ever sit through this one again.

The visuals are also blurry, but with the production being so bad, so what? Anyone who actually likes this play will be revolted by this DVD.

A crisp production negotiated with wit and flair, this delicious confection offers a tantilizing glimpse of the mores and manners of Sheridan's 18th century England. Guided with a sure hand by Michael Langham and Nick Havinga, this handsome production is well paced, wittily acted, and far worthier than the sneering commentary of the reviewers below would have you believe.

If all you care about is slick packaging and color video, by all means pass on to the thoroughly acceptable color DVD from the Broadway Theatre Archive, but if you want to see Richard Brinsley Sheridan's classic Restoration Comedy, THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL, performed by a theatre cast which would be hard to beat, this wonderful production starring a very young Joan Plowright and the always wonderful Felix Aylmer (don't miss him in the theatrical films of Bernard Shaw's THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA and SAINT JOAN) should be on your shelves. The smash hit 1963 Broadway production (recorded on Command Records) with John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson *may* have surpassed this production for polish, but I have yet to see a film or video production which could.

Sheridan's play premiered in London during the spring of 1777, and was playing in New York before the final shots were fired in our War For Independence. I'm having trouble finding the exact date of the broadcast documented in this Video Yesteryear release (and how I wish the packaging on more video releases from even more "upscale" releasers included such important information), but this video gives you the feel of what our founding fathers (and the British officers occupying New York for most of that war) must have enjoyed when it was new - the very graininess of the released film contributes to the illusion - and reminds us as effectively as the wonderful 1776 musical that they were actually flesh and blood people too. What a pleasure to share a high pleasure like this with them.

I first tried buying this tape from a Marketplace seller. I sent it back because the tape quality was poor and the packaging looked unprofessional. After returning it I bought one from Amazon proper and . . . it was the same quality tape and the same packaging. Since I'm now sure this is not a bootleg tape, all I can say is . . . some videos are better than others.

Classic drawing room comedy, period piece. Cleverly written in a time when the audience needed a bit of a nudge to figure out each character. Each person's name describes how you should feel about each! Charming idea from the 1700's. If you've never had a chance to see one of these comedies, take a look. This is a famous play and well done. Must see for theatre students.