Review: Rich and delightful language and vibrant characters

The Alchemist, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. On until February 22. Box office: 024 7655 3055.
Tom Peters, Zannah Hodson and Andrew Harrison in The Alchemist at the Belgrade Theatre.Tom Peters, Zannah Hodson and Andrew Harrison in The Alchemist at the Belgrade Theatre.
Tom Peters, Zannah Hodson and Andrew Harrison in The Alchemist at the Belgrade Theatre.

The Alchemist is comedy about human greed and gullibility.

The year is about 1600, the place London (but here deftly transposed to Coventry). Face (Andrew Harrison) has been left in charge of his master’s house while he escapes the plague. He has recruited two ne’er-do-wells, Subtle (Tom Peters), a slippery con man who specialises in alchemy, and Doll (Zannah Hodson), a prostitute with a quick tongue and very little gold in her heart. Together they have set up a nice little scheme to lure their gulls with promises of gold made from base metals and magic spells to bend the laws of chance in their favour.

At the centre of this harlequinade is the duo Subtle and Face, who shift roles and costumes as easily as sprites shift shapes. Even those who see through the con, such as the cynical Sir Pertinax Surly, are eventually taken in when presented with the object of their desires. Lurking in the background, present but hardly mentioned, is the threat of the plague, which takes all without favour. These are dangerous times, and people want hope: our trio of crooks are here to give it to them - for a price.

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As with Shakespeare, the language is the thing, and it is a rich delight, full of lightning-fast puns and subtle allusions.

The characters are so vibrant, the acting of such quality, that this is an experience that will command your attention while rewarding you amply with laughs.

Nick Le Mesurier