THEATRE REVIEW: THE GOOD DOCTOR (Theatre Alba) at Duddingston Kirk Manse Garden, Edinburgh Fringe 2011
“Man is the only living being with the ability to laugh” the Chekhov proudly proclaimed half way through this presentation of darkly comic vignettes. It’s a statement which encapsulates the writer’s raison d’ecris, the desire to amuse which lies at the heart of his work, and grants his witty short stories their eternal appeal. Theatre Alba’s selection of tales is taken from the adaptations by playwright Neil Simon, touching on a satisfyingly broad range of subjects like prostitution, the ridicule of Russian bureaucrats, and the Moscow acting scene.
Although initially stiff, a little too poised and polished, the Good Doctor himself soon relaxed into a sensitive but solid portrayal of the playwright as the laughs began to flow. At any rate, this was more than made up for by the rest of the cast; highlights included a moving portrayal of a starstruck actress and her soaring reading of the close of “Three Sisters”, the sycophantic sneezer Tchervyakov, and the unforgettable hilarity of the trainee doctor chasing a fearful Orthodox priest with toothache round the marquee, pliers in hand. All in all a cracking Am Dram performance that certainly exercises that uniquely human disposition to laughter.
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