Review | The Three Musketeers at The Spring Arts Centre, Havant: 'Certainly a tonic and well-worth a trip'

This is one of those comedic adaptations in the same vein as the ‘Complete… (Abridged)’ series, this time of Dumas’ classic swashbuckler, played by a cast of four with support galore from the stage-management team, several of whom spend a lot of time on stage with the cast.

The Bench cast – here Chris Davey, Jessi Wilson, Jo Langfield and Katie Watson – struggle against that most dreaded situation in local theatre – a late cast-replacement. Wilson is the director of the play and has stepped in – very last-minute – as Covid-cover for a suffering actor.

Let’s start with her.

Lady – be proud of what you’ve done, here; very proud.

It’s oftentimes impossible to spot that she’s a last-minute stand-in. Yes – occasionally, on opening night, she had to refer to the script but was always, always in control of the character – D’Artagnan – and never once was there a loss of focus or a sense of struggle in the performance. Some of the interaction between her and Langfield as Milady de Winter is the finest in the show.

Langfield, herself, proves the most successful of the cast. The script allows, even encourages Acting (with a capital ‘A’) from the cast and sometimes Wilson allows them too much liberty in taking this as far as they can go.

She should, perhaps, have opted for a tighter rein, but Langfield’s performance is rooted in a truth, especially in a couple of second-act scenes where she’s talking to her prison-warder. Really nice work.

Watson’s best character is Cardinal Richelieu, a baddie so black that she elicited pantomime-boos from the audience on opening-night and Davey excels as musketeer Athos. Again, when he focuses on reality – the meeting between Athos and his believed-dead wife – his talent becomes apparent.

It could do with some tightening up at the beginning of the show – but it’s certainly a tonic and well-worth a trip to Havant.

On Saturday, July 9, 2.30pm and 7.30pm and from July 13-16.

Go to thespring.co.uk.