A well endowed maiden summons up three suitors, but her preference produces a twist in the tale.
Low budget: the war in Flanders is two blokes in uniform, some smoke, a canon, and a horse. But it works. The location and costumes are convincing, and the performances mostly good - some hesitations in delivery - with a fine feeling of farce.
The story's not that elaborate, so the delights of a complex dance, as the characters meet and part and meet again, aren't quite there. Because of that we don't get to see the Aunt again, even though she gives the best performance. Mr Fribble is good, but the conflict between the suitors has little tension, and Loveit Senior is too facile a character on which to hang the climax.
It's an engaging project, but I wonder if the storytellers might have got more out of it by going full meta, rather than confining themselves to an epilogue. A parallel frame set in Garrick's Drury Lane, with similar romantic shenanigans played by the same actors? Too big for the budget, I suppose.
Overall: slight but nice.
Low budget: the war in Flanders is two blokes in uniform, some smoke, a canon, and a horse. But it works. The location and costumes are convincing, and the performances mostly good - some hesitations in delivery - with a fine feeling of farce.
The story's not that elaborate, so the delights of a complex dance, as the characters meet and part and meet again, aren't quite there. Because of that we don't get to see the Aunt again, even though she gives the best performance. Mr Fribble is good, but the conflict between the suitors has little tension, and Loveit Senior is too facile a character on which to hang the climax.
It's an engaging project, but I wonder if the storytellers might have got more out of it by going full meta, rather than confining themselves to an epilogue. A parallel frame set in Garrick's Drury Lane, with similar romantic shenanigans played by the same actors? Too big for the budget, I suppose.
Overall: slight but nice.