Theatre review: Dandy Dick, Glasgow Theatre Royal

A SMASH hit by popular Victorian dramatist Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, this is the kind of farce which has been delighting middle-aged, middle-class audiences ever since, while falling far from critical favour.

There are French windows through which people unexpectedly appear, identities are misunderstood, there is a sanctimonious clergyman, giddy daughters, a horsey lady, comic servants and a couple of sentimental songs. But this new touring version from Brighton’s Theatre Royal also has lavish production values, a cast who know exactly what they are doing, and a sprightly balance between sending up the theatrical conventions and merrily celebrating them.

This is premium ham, with every gag milked to its utmost, every glance exaggerated and every opportunity taken to entertain. As the hapless Dean, veteran Nicholas Le Prevost is all nervous distraction. Patricia Hodge is delightfully sharp as his hearty sister, an ex-horse breeder who speaks in racing metaphors. And it works: despite the hoary old conventions, the production makes you almost forget the fact that Pinero’s world of bourgeois respectability, where the ultimate scandal would involve a reverend betting on a horse race, is long gone.

Two moments sum up the outdated air of the show: after a nice performance of a genteel song by the Dean’s daughters and their military boyfriends, the aunt proclaims that such wholesome evening entertainment could only be found in an English family home. And at the end, she steps forward to remind us all that laughter is harmless, as long as it is aimed at the foolish and not the worthy.

Rating: ****