Les Trois Mousquetaires at Northern Stage

Les Trois Mousquetaires.

Director - John Cobb.

Northern Stage.

Review by Kat Bishop.

Meet D’Artagnan, the charmingly handsome young Frenchman who dreams of joining the legendry Trois Mousquetaires. Prepare to be swept up in a hilarious adventure of camaraderie, chivalry and love, as we follow D’Artagnan from his rural family home to the backstreets of Paris. Produced by the award winning Théâtre Sans Frontières, Director John Cobb revitalises Alexandre Dumas classic tale. The story is brought to life through the hilarious misdemeanours of the quirky cast. The company is renowned for producing theatre pieces in their original language, and Les Trois Mousquetaires is no exception. The performance is mostly in French, with snippets of English and Spanish. But do not be put off! Language skills are not necessary to enjoy this delightful performance. A guaranteed laugh a minute, this comedic production combines song, puppetry and a host of eccentric characters to create a spectacle suitable for all.

Théâtre Sans Frontières knows how to put on a good show. They provided the traditional tale with a fiendish twist for the 21st century; the Musketeers are all women! Becky Jameson, Lucia Mazarrasa Llosa and Mariae Smiarowska were incredible as the macho Musketeers, bouncing and strutting around the stage with convincing virility, their joke-shop moustaches the only reminder of their real gender. Their chemistry was great. They were side-splittingly funny when interacting onstage, and the individual quirks of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis were ingeniously captured. Porthos’ hang-up about his expanding waistline was particularly amusing.

Johanne Thibaut played a very lovable D’Artagnan. This excitable character, with his boyish charm and good looks was an instant hit with the audience. Thibaut’s characterisation was spot-on, and D’Artagnan’s enthusiasm was infectious. She perfectly embodied the desire of a small-town adolescent, who itches to leave his village and lead an adventurous life. Although D’Artagnan encounters obstacles along his journey, he bounces back from disappointment with youthful vigour. He is desperate to be brave and chivalric, but his first encounter with the notorious Rochefort (played by Rew Lowe), sees him fall flat on his back. But he is not discouraged, and carries on his quest in good humour... what’s not to like about a character with such joie de vivre?!

D’Artagnan meets many characters during his adventure, and all are equally amusing. He falls in love with the beautiful Constance (played by Smiarowska), meets the scatty La Reine (Llosa), has an encounter with the hilariously geeky and camp Duke of Buckingham (Lowe), and unfortunately bumps into Milady (Jameson), a femme fatale, with a mind for money and a thirst for power. Jameson’s portrayal of Milady was brilliant. She is a temptress with a dirty mouth, who spouts some seriously inventive sexual innuendos.

This production is a laugh from start to finish. The comedy is on the right side of slapstick, and the five-man cast play each of their characters with real innovation. D’Artagnan and Les Mousquetaires get into some sticky situations, but their wit, charm and imaginary swords are the perfect weapons to put them back on the straight and narrow. The production sticks to its French roots, and the Musketeers’ adventures are accompanied by the accordion and chants of the classic Mousquetaire motto: ‘Un pour tous et tous pour un!’ This is certainly a production pour tous!