Group

PLAY READING meets at the Falcon Hotel every two weeks on Mondays at 10.15am, although we will not be meeting in August owing to the holiday season. Mary Dobson

"THE MISER" by Moliere was our play for May and June, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Some of us vaguely remembered reading it at school, but our enjoyment then depended largely on the enthusiasm and dedication of the teacher. Having reached the age we are, we were able to appreciate the finer points of the miser's point of view and his thoughts about banks and whether they were safe. Harpagon (the miser) muses to himself - "...Oh, what a misfortune - having so much money about the place. Happy the man who has all his money invested and lives on the interest. But what investment's really safe? Of course, I might keep it in a bank. But I don't like banks. Banks aren't what they're said to be. Something happens to a bank - and then, where's your money?" Where indeed - and this takes place in 1668? There is a large cast with complicated love lives, as usual. Harpagan thinks that he will take a young wife, Mariane, who is in love with Harpagan's son, Cleante, who is afraid to ask his father for money to marry her; Elise, Harpagon's daughter, who is in love with Valere and who Harpagan thinks is after his money (mind you, he thinks everyone is after his money which he eventually buries in a strongbox in the garden), as well as a scheming woman, Frosine and the money lender Master Simon. In the end, Harpagan is left alone with his money and all the family is happily married off. This was first produced at the New Theatre, London on 17th January, 1950 with Miles Malleson as the miser, Michael Aldridge was Valere and Diana Churchill was Elise.

I tried to find another Moliere play, but there were no copies available to us, so went on to a Georges Feydeau farce called "KEEP AN EYE ON AMELIE" which was first presented at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester under the title "She's In your Hands" on 28th June, 1990. Marcel will inherit one million francs on his wedding day. Unwilling to give up his bachelorhood, but in dire need of cash, he persuades Amelie, a cocotte and his friend Etienne's mistress, to act as his fiance for the benefit of his godfather. However, the godfather insists on staying for the wedding. Etienne leaves on military service, asking Marcel to "keep an eye on Amelie which he does rather too literally, waking up in bed beside her after a night of champagne. Etienne plots revenge, arranging a "mock" wedding, but the Mayor is all too real and Amelie and Marcel find themselves truly married!

MD