French Without Tears: ‘An Utter Joy To Watch’

I sat down to watch French Without Tears in the worst possible mood to see a light-hearted comedy. At the end of a rather long and horrid day, last thing I wanted to do that evening was laugh. It is a testament to how strong the production is that it quickly got me out of that mood and having a wonderful time.

The play’s plot is simple; a group of young men are studying French in hopes of passing the Diplomatic exam, but their greatest test of political skill and diplomacy has nothing to do with French. It is in the face of the dreadfully gorgeous Diana, a woman whose charms pose a far greater threat to them than any rival nation.

The production quickly got me out of my bad mood; I had a wonderful time. 

The whole cast’s chemistry is very strong, producing Rattigan’s well-polished banter on stage brilliantly. Commander Rogers, whose arrival at the house sets in motion the ridiculously melodramatic love-pentangle is played by Tim Delap. A navy officer who cannot speak a word of French, Delap plays the Commander delightfully straight-laced. There wasn’t a single line which fell flat under his performance.

As a complete contrast to the Commander, Joe Eyre creates a vivid image of Kit, a young man living with the maturity and attitude of a stroppy teenager. He flops onto furniture dramatically and complains about his woes with a slight foppish inflection; it is as if you were watching a thirteen year old playing dress up as a grown man.

There wasn’t a single line that fell flat under Tim Delap’s performance. 

Florence Roberts portrays a beautifully multi-faceted Diana. She effortlessly plays the smug, smiling siren but also is able to break free of that archetype and create moments of real vulnerability. In a revealing moment between her and Jaqueline, Diana states that she is fully aware that her looks and allure are all she has, and she is determined to use them as a weapon. She justifies her game of collecting young men’s hearts as “strength in numbers,” a naturally funny line but played in such a way that it becomes very telling of her true insecurities.

Even so, rather like the men in this play, we are kept on our toes about Diana’s character. As the boys enter the scene the moment is brushed off by Diana as if it never happened. Was this sincerity simply Diana play-acting? I am astounded at Roberts’ skill in keeping us guessing.

The show is packed with so much fast paced wordplay and wit that it is almost impossible not to laugh.

My French is atrocious, which is slightly disadvantageous considering it takes place in the South of France with all the men learning French. You see, there is quite a bit of French in this play. However, I didn’t enjoy the show any less for being as oblivious as the Commander when faced with French dialogue in full force. Monsieur Maingot, the French teacher, appears to speak no more than 10 words of English in the whole two and a half hours, but David Witworth’s performance is delivered with such conviction and clarity that it was as if I could understand exactly what he was saying by his tone alone.

The show is packed with so much fast paced wordplay and wit that it is almost impossible not to laugh. Surprisingly though, the show’s true strength lies in the moments of quiet. When the laughs have stopped and one or two characters remain on stage, the production trusts itself to give the play a second to pause, a moment to breathe. Here, the comedy hangs back in favour of showcasing the empathetic side to these borderline farcical characters.  In these moments the real delicacy of Rattigan’s writing is allowed to shine through. It’s an utter joy to watch.