Romp in the drawing room

By ALEX SPENCE

Ambitious? Perhaps, but first-time director Heath Jones couldn't resist staging William Wycherley's The Country Wife (1675) as his debut. "I just love that period because it was so smutty," says 29-year-old Jones.

"England had just left Puritanism behind and there was this explosion of sexuality, wit, manners - it was such an amazing time."

Considered one of the essential works of the Restoration, The Country Wife is a scathing, ribald and at times comically absurd satire of marriage and fidelity set in the drawing rooms of 17th-century London.

It tells the story of a roguish cad, Horner, who pretends to be a eunuch to get women to trust him; and of the jealous Pinchwife, so convinced his young country wife will cuckold him he eventually drives her to seek Horner's affections. The sceptical Wycherley wrote with tongue firmly in cheek. So expect moments of high camp.

Jones has wanted to direct The Country Wife since studying it as a performing arts student at Unitec three years ago. "I had a little section in my notebook in which I'd write down any plays I came across I thought would be great to do," he says. "This was always top of my list. It just seemed such fun."

There was another, more practical reason. "I figured with a text as rich as this, it would be difficult for me to mess it up," he says, grinning.

Although Jones has acted in two plays at the SiLo since leaving drama school, French Toast and Shakespeare's Shorts, it didn't prepare him for the enormity of staging his own production.

"I probably thought things would swing together with a little bit less effort than they have. It's all come together now, but not without a bit of pushing."

With only a small budget, he had to do much of the work - publicity, costumes, lighting - by himself or with the help of friends. That meant calling in favours. Rehearsals took place on evenings and weekends, to fit around his day job at a Newmarket menswear store.

The cast is made up largely of unknowns, including former classmates from drama school. He even cast an untrained actor, Amanda Billing, in the role of the country wife. "It does sort of fit in a way," he says. "Her character is the one with the least artifice."

The greatest challenge was the costumes, all made from scratch. It was impossible to recreate fully authentic Restoration dress, as all 12 actors wouldn't fit on the SiLo stage wearing "big, hooped skirts".

Instead, Jones and his costume designer stripped it back to undergarments typical of the time. "The women have petticoats or pantaloons. Corsets. Little chemises. The guys are in nice, sheer Restoration shirts. They look very sexy. It's indicative of the period but not entirely faithful."

Wycherley's text has also been modified somewhat. "The text is huge, to tell you the truth. If we were to do the whole thing it would take in the vicinity of three hours. The Country Wife in its original form had a lot of social commentary that people at the time would have found funny, but doesn't read well today and doesn't forward the plot. So we cut most of that out."

And all this talk of cuckolds and "beaux garcons". What will modern audiences make of it?

"I think people will enjoy it terrifically," Jones says. "It's not difficult to understand. The language isn't as complex as Shakespeare or as antiquated. It's a style people will enjoy seeing because it's so stylised and mannered. I hope people come along to enjoy a good, funny romp."

Performance

* What: The Country Wife, by William Wycherley

* Where: SiLo Theatre

* When: Wed April 10-26