Before Peter Pan came Phoebe Throssel, the ‘old maid’ who has grown old too quickly in J.M. Barrie’s Quality Street. The production, directed by Laurie Sansom, had barely been unwrapped before it was shut down in 2020 due to the pandemic, and following its run at the New Vic Theatre comes to Richmond as part of a wider tour.
Phoebe is expecting Valentine Brown to offer his hand in marriage, but when, instead, he enlists to fight, she and her sister Susan are left in dire financial straits. Ten years later and Captain Brown has returned to find the sisters running a school house to pay the bills. Phoebe believes that he’s shocked at how old and tired (now aged thirty) she looks. In an attempt to punish him, Phoebe poses as her own, and fictional, niece. Attending balls and flirting outrageously, ‘Miss Livvy’ helps Valentine realise who he is really in love with.
This genteel comedy farce has been given a few modern twists by Sansom, including the music and dance moves. Famously, the play inspired the name of the chocolates, so in this version workers from the Quality Street factory have been invited to ‘help’ with the performance. They introduce each of the four acts and wax lyrical about their own lives and loves.
It’s a nice construct and helps give the more than a century old play some context in the modern world. The play proper does get off to a slow start, picking up later in the first half. After the interval, things get even more lively as the plot becomes increasingly farcical.
It’s here too that the simple set comes alive with colour, with fantastic costumes clearly inspired by the chocolate wrappers and a little more in the way of lighting design.
As Phoebe, Paula Lane sparkles. Bouncing between Phoebe and Livvy with ease, while bringing a cheeky charm to both characters. Lane works well with Louisa-May Parker as sister Susan, often the comedy foil for Phoebe’s outlandish antics, while Aron Julius is commanding as Valentine Brown.
Northern Broadsides and the New Vic have brought us a sweet little treat in the form of Quality Street, mixing up J.M. Barrie’s classic, though little revived, play with just the merest hint of modernity.
Quality Street is currently touring until 7th July 2023 full listings can be found here.
