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Colm Feore as Cyrano de Bergerac
Photo: David Hou Amanda Lisman as Roxane and Colm Feore as Cyrano de Bergerac
Photo: David Hou Mike Shara as Christian de Neuvillette, Amanda Lisman as Roxane and John Vickery as Comte de Guiche, with members of the company
Photo: David Hou

THE STRATFORD SHAKESPEARE THEATRE

PERFORMANCE DATE: AUGUST 13, 2009

REVIEWED BY: LISA GILBERT

When John called and asked us if we wanted to go to see Cyrano de Bergerac in Stratford, as he was unable to use his tickets, I jumped at the chance. I think Colm Feore is one of the strongest actors at the Festival this year, and he plays the title role. Luckily, Jim and I had no commitments we couldn’t get out of that day, so we took John up on his offer

The seats were wonderful!! Sixth row centre - about as perfect as you can get. Mr. Feore didn’t disappoint, and the spontaneous standing ovation he got at the end of the show was well deserved. He isn’t the only family member involved in this production, however. It is also directed by Donna Feore, and Thomas Feore plays the parts of Boy, Page and Young Cadet. It was very nice to see that this was a real family affair.

The classic story of the larged-nosed hero with the courage of a lion and a golden tongue, who loves Roxane, his beautiful young cousin, but woos her for the handsome Christian de Neuvillette instead of himself was written by the late nineteenth century French playwright, Edmond Rostand. A few years ago the story was updated for the silver screen in a movie called Roxanne, starring Steve Martin. Here it is played in the seventeenth century setting in which it was originally written. That happens to be one of my favourite time-periods, costume-wise, and Alix Dolgoy’s designs were delightfully lush and visually appealing.

When we first meet Cyrano de Bergerac, he is already famous for three things. He is a prodigious swordsman, a tremendously witty writer, and he has the largest nose any- one has ever seen. He is also in love with the beautiful young Roxanne, but she doesn’t know this because Cyrano believes she could never love his ugly face. When she confides in her dear cousin that she loves Christian de Neuvillette, whom Cyrano discovers is very handsome, but also very tongue-tied, and not that bright, Cyrano convinces Christian to let him write the love letters instead. Roxanne falls more in love than ever with her silver-tongued young man (or so she thinks), and when they both go to war together, Cyrano continues the daily love letters, at great risk to himself. Then Christian is killed, and Roxanne retires to a convent vowing never to love again. In the final scene it is several years later, and we learn that Cyrano has been visiting her every week for all this time, and has never revealed to her that it was indeed him who had written those letters she has been cherishing. When Cyrano does enter the scene he has been hit on the head and is dieing. It is only in the last few minutes of Cyrano’s life that Roxanne realizes that she has been loving the soul of Cyrano, and not Christian, all this time.

This story of outer ugliness and inner beauty first became popular in the nineteenth century (think Phantom of the Opera), but even in the twenty-first century we’re drawn to these kinds of heros. Cyrano de Bergerac has all the qualities we love in our heros - he’s brave, he’s smart, he’s kind and he’s humble and Colm Feore did a magnificent job of portraying all of them. His energetic stage fighting was impressive, but no more so than the feeling and passion his voice conveyed in speaking of Roxanne. I admit I shed a tear at the end when he died, even though I have read this play and seen it more than once as well.

Amanda Lisman also excelled in her portrayal of the idealistic young Roxanne who truly believes that love should consist of heady words and soaring emotions every- day. Mike Shara’s Christian de Neuvillette makes us sympathize with this young man who realizes his limitations, but who gets caught in the ruse created by his friend for him, and who tries to escape and to woo Roxanne in his own right, but not very successfully. The other supporting cast, like John Vickery as the lascivious Comte de Guiche and Wayne Best as Cyrano’s friend Le Bret also gave the kind of strong performance we’ve all come to expect from the Stratford Festival.

So if you’re in the mood for some swashbuckling adventure and some unrequited love, then go to see Cyrano de Bergerac. It plays at the Festival Theatre in Stratford until November 1. I’d like to thank John Gardiner for the opportunity to see this play, and especially for those wonderful seats, and I encourage you all to see live theatre - it is and always will be better than going to a movie.

Lisa Gilbert