Northampton pulls out every last Feydeau farce trick

Published: 12 April 2014
Reporter: Steve Orme

Every Last Trick: a new adaptation in Northampton
Aitor Basouri and Toby Park, joint artistic directors of Spymonkey

Northampton’s Royal and Derngate is to stage the world première of an adaptation of the Feydeau farce Every Last Trick.

Tamsin Oglesby’s new look at infidelity and marriage unites the comic talents of members of theatre companies Spymonkey and Told By An Idiot.

The play is based on Georges Feydeau’s Le Systeme Ribadier which was first staged in 1892. It has been updated to the 1920s, with a politician and his glamorous new wife evoking a picture of marital bliss.

She is suspicious of his Thursday nights when he goes out to “stretch his legs” and she realises she has to fight fire with fire, lies with more lies and use every last trick to get the better of him.

The cast features Toby Park and Aitour Basouri, joint artistic directors of Spymonkey who previously appeared in Royal and Derngate co-productions Oedipussy and Moby Dick.

They are joined by Sophie Russell, who has worked extensively for the RSC in plays including The Comedy Of Errors as well as appearing in a number of Told By An Idiot productions, and Adrien Gygax.

Paul Hunter directs. Designer is Lucy Bradridge, whose previous work at Royal and Derngate includes the 50th anniversary production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Mr Whatnot in 2013 as well as the Spymonkey co-production Oedipussy. Lighting designer is Philip Gladwell and sound designer Adrienne Quartly.

Every Last Trick takes to the Royal stage from Friday (18 April) until Saturday 10 May.

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