Unless you’re a fan of traditional French literature or the movies of François Truffaut, Jules and Jim might be a brand new and rewarding expertise. Adapted from the novel by Henri-Pierre Roche, it tells of a real-life love triangle in free-spirited Paris earlier than the First World War. We start in 1907 with Jules (Samuel Collings) as an expatriate German author residing in Paris. He meets Jim (Alex Mugnaioni), a local Parisienne whom he recognises as a kindred spirit. They dwell a carefree and bohemian existence. The pair write and talk about the complexities of relationships in cafes and bars. Female acquaintances are liberally shared with out concern or jealousy.
There is an plain cadence within the dialogue that makes this play extremely watchable. The characters set off one another with a energetic exuberance that’s onerous to withstand. Writer Timberlake Wertenbaker has original a vibrant script that builds summary into the narrative because it strikes ahead. This works as a helpful reminder for the viewers, notably with dialogue that’s tightly packed right into a single 90-minute act. The visuals are sparse however efficient; plastic screens are cleverly spun backwards and forwards throughout the stage to signify the transition between scenes. The three sturdy solid carry out admirably and produce to life a vibrant story from a bygone period.However, it does really feel like a toddler of the period wherein it was written. Roche was in his 70s when the novel was revealed in 1952, and portrays attitudes that will not sit nicely with fashionable pondering. Nevertheless, it’s a interval drama that throws gentle on a real bohemian life-style on the flip of the century and isn’t any much less legitimate consequently.
Review by Brian Penn
Seat: E9 | Price of Ticket: £35/£31 concessions