London Assurance
Written by Dion Boucicault
Directed by Charlotte Moore
Irish Repertory Theatre
December 28, 2019
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.

You walk into the Irish Repertory Theatre and are greeted by the sweetest little postage stamp of a set.  Taking no more than 20’ in circumference, the stage is a revolve that features a simple door in the middle with a few pieces of attractive furniture flanking it.  With just a rotation or two, we are taken to all of the necessary exterior and interior locations with ease.

BUT the set also gives you a clue that this is going to be much more of a comedy of manners – and not much of a farce.  Doors are not going to go swinging with surprise entrances and mistaken identity.  In  Dion Boucicault 1841 play, London Assurance, people are going to come out in lavish costumes in pairs and trios, and they are going to talk and talk.  The costumes are lovely but the dialog is simple not witty, funny or interesting enough.  I was sitting there wishing that I could have taken these actors, especially the men, and put them into a production of The Importance of Being Earnest.  Then, I would’t mind the talking so much.

In fact the plot is much of Earnest – but without funny jokes or wit.  I was also troubled by the great number of asides given by all of the characters almost constantly.  They did little to make me feel “in confidence” with the characters and really become more jarring.

The afternoon felt like eating an over-sweetened truffle with no real flavor behind it.  Truly a waste of calories!