REVIEW: Broadway’s ‘Travesties’ is madcap fun

NEW YORK — Tom Stoppard’s Travesties finishes its limited-engagement run at Roundabout Theatre Company’s American Airlines Theatre Sunday, June 17. For a few short months, Broadway audiences have been treated to a hilarious and smart show from one of the most important playwrights of his generation. Centered on a towering performance from Tom Hollander, the play was a welcome treat in New York — a rare production on Broadway, where entertainment offerings sometimes sway away from the intellectual and more to the easy to digest.

Hollander plays Henry Carr, a low-level government worker in Zurich, Switzerland, at the height of World War I. While in the cosmopolitan city, made up of artists, diplomats and refugees, Carr encounters many important historical figures, including famed Irish writer James Joyce (Peter McDonald), Vladimir Lenin (Dan Butler) and Tristan Tzara (Seth Numrich),  father of the Dada movement.

Stoppard uses this historical footnote to develop a two-and-a-half-hour show that is never too far away from a few laughs. Carr has many run-ins with these intellectuals — some positive, some negative, all memorable. For example, he acted in a production of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and directed by Joyce. Carr’s disagreements with the Irish scribe eventually leads to a disagreement about trousers and a lawsuit, all played out to hilarious effect at the American Airlines Theatre.

Patrick Marber’s direction does justice to the frenetic energy of the cast and the constant changing of scenes in the farce. There’s a centerstage podium for Carr and others to extol their thoughts. A bell is rung when scenes are redone with a different focus (playing on the theme of multiple interpretations when it comes to one’s memory).

Although the historical references may prove daunting for some, Stoppard’s script keeps the content light and understandable. This is not a play that has the same depth as his exquisite The Coast of Utopia, and that might be welcome news for those audience members unwilling to follow his many academic references.

Hollander is the standout in the cast and deservedly earned a Tony nomination. One wonders if Andrew Garfield’s performance in Angels in America was not so heralded whether Hollander would have walked away with the prize. The actor plays Carr both in the early part of the 20th century and also in the 1960s as an older, hunched man. He seamlessly transitions between the two, always with a devilish look at the audience as he makes sense of the senselessness around him.

There’s much to enjoy in Numrich’s portrayal of Tzara, an eccentric writer and artist who broke down barriers and appreciated spontaneity in the act of creation. The Joyce character feels a bit underwritten, but that may be because Carr’s light bulb shines so bright. Scarlett Strallen is enjoyable as Gwendolen; ditto for Opal Alladin as Nadya. Rounding out the cast are Patrick Kerr and Sara Topham.

Hats off to Roundabout Theatre Company for bringing Marber’s staging of Stoppard’s play to Broadway. The production originated in London at the Menier Chocolate Factory and simply delights in its irreverence.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Travesties, by Tom Stoppard and directed by Patrick Marber, stars Tom Hollander, Peter McDonald, Opal Alladin, Patrick Kerr, Sara Topham, Scarlett Strallen, Seth Numrich and Dan Butler. Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes. Currently playing the American Airlines Theatre as part of the Roundabout Theatre Company’s season. Rating: Click here for more information and tickets.