Most productions (and I’m talking the TV and film) love to focus on the naughty aspects of Moll Flanders’ life. This show decides to show the full story and the whoring is hardly mentioned. Instead we have a more complete history of the sad and exciting life from Moll’s birth in the mid-1700’s in Newgate Prison, to her finding her mother at precisely the wrong time, the loss of a husband or two, loving a highwayman, becoming a pickpocket and finally the unlikely happy ending. I still can’t work out whether Daniel Defoe wrote her as a hero or a victim as, although she is dealt a very bad hand from life, she does manage to triumph in the end but she does have one hell of a struggle.
The show started with an announcement that one of the principal cast had had an accident yesterday and a replacement, with only one day preparation, would be playing his parts. The stage has a few props including the gallows at the centre rear. The best touch was whenever the part only required one or two players on stage, the remainder of the cast did not pop out for a break but formed a tableau around the gallows and froze for the entire period they were not featuring.
The players in this show were all excellent and the tragic moments almost brought a tear to my eye. The costumes were all sumptuous (from the let’s wear curtain period of history) and there is little I can say to fault this production. If you love a good rollicking historical drama full of action and soap-opera style story twists, then you must see this show.
Visit the Fringe website for bookings details.