A Night of French Mayhem at Herald Theatre

A Night of French Mayhem is a finely crafted production

The opportunity to see Moliere on stage is a rare treat and this brief, one-act play demonstrates why he is regarded as the world's greatest exponent of comic theatre.

On one level, Two Precious Maidens Ridiculed is a hilarious romp, lampooning the pretentious elites who flourished in 17th-century Paris. But the play moves beyond satire and subtly explores how reliance on literary models can produce the kind of alienation that makes people mistrust the evidence of their own senses.

Moliere genius is most conspicuous in the characters' vitality. Even when the satire is at its most brutal he never loses sight of his creations' humanity.

There is a joyful exuberance in the way the cast take on these flamboyant personalities - especially in Russell Pickering's portrayal of the Marquis de Mascarille, a servant who seizes the chance to masquerade as an aristocratic man of letters. Pickering throws himself into the role with a wild enthusiasm, vividly illustrating the dangerous pleasures of impersonation.

The performances are enhanced by Anders Falstie-Jensen's well-paced direction and Naomi Spicer's splendid costumes that capture the glorious extravagance of the period.

If there are any doubts about Moliere's relevance, they are convincingly dispelled by the second half of the show which presents The Rehearsal - an original work loosely based on Moliere's The Rehearsal at Versailles. Writer-Director Falstie-Jensen effectively applies the master's method with a satire on the pretentiousness of theatre world.

In an understated piece of post-modern irony, his fictional theatre company is rehearsing an avant-garde production of Moliere. By aiming the satire at a target so close to home the work gains a self-effacing quality.

The self-absorbed actors massaging their CVs and the unimpressed lighting technician waiting to deliver his contribution are tellingly drawn vignettes. Geoff Allen gives a nice performance in the unlikely role of the company's private patron - a Creative New Zealand bureaucrat would have been more believable but, as Moliere himself knew, there are limits to what can be safely ridiculed.

The company's director is a pretentious prat who seems modelled on the Ricky Gervais character in The Office. This is a huge ask for any actor and Andrew Merrie's performance lacks the utterly unselfconscious quality that makes The Office so inimitable.

But nothing detracts from the sheer entertainment value of the evening. The Rebel Alliance is establishing itself as a company to watch. In A Night of French Mayhem it delivers a finely crafted production that is bold and innovative while displaying deep understanding of theatrical traditions.