The Magnetic Lady

Elstub keeps things moving at a fair pace. The plot is packed full of twists and elaborate misunderstandings and Elstub draws as much humour from it as she can. She’s helped by a more than competent cast. The production is carried by the two more seasoned actresses; Maggie Robson as Lady Loadstone is elegantly befuddled, desperately throwing herself at the mercy of Master Compass, a man whom she mistakenly believes to have her best interests at heart, while Darrie Gardner plays the self-important and loquacious former nursemaid, Miss Polish, with fantastic flair. Of the male characters, though Michael Bagwell as Master Compass occasionally fumbled his lines, he was never less than dashing, and Anthony Acosta was hilariously camp as Sir Diaphanous Silkworm.

Though it is inevitably the men who do all the pursuing, the artifice employed by the female characters makes this an interesting piece of drama from a historical point of view, and an entertaining one from a theatre goer’s.

The restrictions imposed by the space were at times too large of a hurdle. Whilst the set design is detailed and full of stylish art noveau touches, the stage is simply too small for such a sprawling play and a cast of this size. As a result the flurry of entrances and exits and the requisite dramatic gestures were not always as effective as they might have been and there were also occasions where the audience saw the actors’ backs for far longer periods than necessary.

Despite these limitations, there was some inspired use made of what was available. The servants’ self-aware interludes were particularly well executed. Directly addressing the audience they discussed the play’s progress while remaining in character and continuing with their assigned roles of bed making and tidying.

Elstub’s revival makes a strong case for the play. Blessed with some excellent comic performances this energetic and uplifting production is a gamble that has paid off.

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