Review: Cyrano de Bergerac (Swan Theatre)

Review by Raphael Kohn

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s hard to be a reviewer who takes himself seriously and tries to be very sparing with giving five-star reviews when faced with something like the RSC’s Cyrano de Bergerac. It’s practically impossible not to love. The play that introduced the word ‘panache’ into the English lexicon has been revived on the stage of the RSC’s Swan theatre, and panache it has in spades. All set to modern verse and performed with such aplomb, it’s sublimely, splendidly staged from start to finish.

Edmond Rostand’s famous source material is treated delicately, like a fragile treasure. Translated and interpreted by director Simon Evans and poet Debris Stevenson, its meaning stays the same though its language is somewhat updated. Rather than being radically revamped, it’s been brought into modern English in both verse and prose, keeping the plot intact and without excessive modernisations. It feels almost simplistic in its adaptation.

Simplicity, though, is not an accurate reflection of this production. Every line in Evans and Stevenson’s gracefully written script is masterfully crafted, exploring the folk tale of Cyrano through gorgeous poetry. Each character is exquisitely shaped, simultaneously a faithful recreation of Rostand’s original while also strikingly original, each with their own unique poetic flairs.

There’s humour too, in a flurry of puns, insults and banter told through verse and prose alike. Of course, the poet Cyrano himself gets the best remarks, but ‘nose’ puns are never too far away, nor are a good deal of innuendoes. Partially though, they come through in Evans’ delightful staging, variably paced to keep the jokes flying quick and fast while also letting the quieter moments leave a meaningful and lasting mark. I’ll admit that last night, my notebook was dampened by tears in one or two truly moving scenes, and judging by the sniffles around me, I was certainly not the only one.

Much of this is thanks to Adrian Lester’s commanding and thunderously charismatic performance as Cyrano himself. From his very first moments, he is absolutely magnetic on stage, with impeccable timing to deliver the finest comedic moments through Shakespearean insults and jibes. But behind his prosthetic nose, there’s a deep sense of longing, of insecurity, and passion, bottled up behind a confident façade but impossible to ignore. In a masterful balancing act, both exhibiting his humour while also letting his deeper emotions show through the cracks, he delivers a superlative performance.

Thankfully, he’s on stage most of the time. The play opens without him, in a scene resembling The Play That Goes Wrong as a play is prepared. Scott Handy’s De Guiche makes his first appearance in what could be a one-dimensional villain character in lesser hands but is elevated into three dimensions. The chaos of the play-within-a-play subsides, and Lester’s entrance takes us into a world of action (with Bethan Clark’s thrilling fight direction) and passion.

Those who know the play will not find themselves disappointed by re-written plot lines as Cyrano decides to help new soldier Christian (a delightfully charming Levi Brown, performing in his own Halesowen accent) to woo Roxane by writing Christian’s love letters for him. Thankfully, Christian is hardly a simpleton in this adaptation; he may not have the same talent for poetry as Cyrano, but he’s no idiot either.

The delicate balance of humour and heartbreak is exquisitely demonstrated in the balcony scene, in which Cyrano uses the cover of darkness to act as Christian’s voice and maintain Roxane’s interest in him. Sure, there’s some slapstick thrown in, and a good deal of laughs from Cyrano’s attempts at a black country accent, but when the emotions hit, they hit hard.

Roxane herself is hardly a bland character, saved from ‘love interest’ clichés by Susannah Fielding’s vibrant performance. In fact, there’s a complete absence of weak links throughout the cast, with Christian Patterson’s engaging Ragueneau, Greer Dale-Foulks’ amusing Abigail, and so many more all performing at their very best. Joining the actors are a team of actor-musicians to underscore the story with Alex Baranowski’s folky music, at times spirited and at others melancholy, providing just the right accompaniment.

It sounds great, it’s acted exquisitely, and it even looks delightful. Grace Smart’s set is designed with a gentle touch, hiding its tricks up its sleeves for later in the play and leaving Joshie Harriette’s dynamic lighting and the actors’ performances to work their magic. It’s as if the entire production rests on the delicate balances between darkness and light, between humour and heartbreak, and between boldness and composure. I suppose that’s Cyrano himself really, hanging in the balance between confidence in his charisma and insecurity in his appearance.

In a string of really rather excellent productions at the RSC, there’s quite a challenge for this powerhouse company to top this. If this is what Adrian Lester’s and Simon Evans’ RSC debuts look like, then all I can say is that I hope there’s plenty more where this came from for these remarkable artists. It’s not just a moving night at the theatre; this one will stay with you for years to come.

Cyrano de Bergerac plays at the Swan Theatre until 15th November 2025. Tickets from https://www.rsc.org.uk/cyrano-de-bergerac/

Photos by Marc Brenner