The Man of Mode

[shewho]

Last night (as a treat after Tuesday Doom) to the National to see The Man of Mode with perfectlyvague and suicideally.

It was a wonderful stylised production, updated to the trendy fashion present, and worked really well. Sometimes there's nothing like a spot of romantic farce, pounding music and dancing to hit the spot. Sir Fopley Fopling, Medley and Mrs Loveit were all great, though there were also a few, shall we say, less good performances.

Not one to restore your faith in human nature, being populated by people generally being self absorbed and not very nice, though interesting that it applies as much today as hundreds of years ago.

A fun romp, I'm glad I went. Though did catch myself musing on a few Dorimant-esque characters from my past.....*

(If anyone wants to go I think it's still in rep til the end of this month, and you can get best seats available deals for a tenner on lastminute.com. Ours were pretty ace!)


* No names no packdrill. They were never 'serious' on my part either....

Comments

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

i saw man of mode way back at school - done in traditional restoration style - and i LOVED it. would love to go, but money + time conspire against me!

[shewho.livejournal.com]

i'd like to see it done traditionally too, just for comparison!

i'd prefer your holiday to the theatre though eh :)

[darkship.livejournal.com]

I had to Google Dorimant, IT IS TOO OBSCURE EVEN FOR WIKIPEDOPHILE. Is 'Sir Fopley' where the latter-day word 'fop' comes from, or was it the other way round in a [pre-]Dickensian "let's name a character after what he is" style?

[shewho.livejournal.com]

it doesn't have the man of mode on it at all, despite being possibly teh best known of it's ilk. this is another reason why i never trust wiki!

the play talks of fops and things anyway aside from Sir Fopley, so i reckon yer latter theory is the right one......

[darkship.livejournal.com]

'The Man Of Mode' is, in fact, featured on the author's Wiki, but it doesn't have its own page (thus my need to look up the character's name to understand your reference to same).

[perfectlyvague.livejournal.com]

Sir Fopling Flutter. Fop was already used as a derogatory word at the time, yes.