Get caught up in the con at Tartuffe
There’s something so innately satisfying about seeing swindling jerks get caught out, right? Witnessing the downfall of those who are deliberately deceptive is like sweet revenge for all the times you’ve been wronged. Few tales capture this feeling as well as Tartuffe – the classic play has been reimagined, coming to QPAC from November 12 to December 4 to treat audiences to an ultimately hilarious war of wits.
Tartuffe follows the exploits of a brazen con man (sharing his name with the play’s title) who has swindled his way into quite a comfortable life. His latest challenge is Orgon, a self-made man with boundless wealth who feels like something is missing in his life. Tartuffe gets more than he bargained for when Orgon’s wacky family cotton on to the con, and what results is a showdown exploring power, persuasion and hypocrisy. This fresh take on Tartuffe has been loaded with 21st century touches – think cheeky double entendres, hilarious wordplay and visual gags that are on an Arrested Development level. The characters have a certain love-to-hate appeal, projecting larger than life personalities that you just can’t help but cheer for.
Originally written by iconic French playwright Moliére, Tartuffe is hitting QPAC’s Playhouse in an all-new version created by Justin Fleming. The themes explored in the play still resonate today, despite the original text being centuries old. The teams from Queensland Theatre and Black Swan State Theatre Company have combined to give the famously sinful comedy a new edge, employing a killer cast including Darren Gilshenan in the titular role and Queensland’s own Hugh Parker to name a couple. One to watch is Emily Weir, making her stage debut in this production.
Feel like you could use a laugh? Tickets to Tartuffe are available now through QTIX, so snap one up pronto.
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