The Matchmaker

Following a complicated and at times painful genesis, Thornton Wilder’s comedy The Matchmaker has endured since the mid 1950’s and has also resulted in its well-known stage and screen offspring, the musical Hello Dolly!

The Matchmaker is an unlikely blend of comedy of manners and farce, which Adelaide’s Independent Theatre makes the most of with a very good current production directed by the company’s Artistic Director Rob Croser.

The miserliness and exploitation that are features of merchant Horace Vandergelder’s personality are challenged by exuberant and outgoing Dolly Levi. She uses quick wit and hilarious manipulation to change him and to free up his downtrodden staff and family to follow their loves and dreams; all the time, with her own future very much in mind.

Rob Croser and David Roach’s set design is simple and effective, with velvet curtaining behind tall white arches, two white doors and large white windows. This provides the background structure for various settings, including Horace Vandergelder’s above-store house in Yonkers. A trapdoor on the stage, through which Vandergelder’s assistants come and go, provides the illusion there is a grocery store downstairs. Other settings include Irene Molloy’s hat shop in Manhattan, The Harmonia Gardens Restaurant and Miss Flora Van Huysen’s house in Brooklyn.

David Roach is excellent as Horace Vandergelder, portraying the controlling, misogynistic and bombastic man with great expertise. He also is very fine in his portrayal of a man who, despite his protestations, is at last putty in the hands of worldly Dolly Levi.

Bronwyn Ruciak embodies Dolly Levi, a slyly funny and outgoing woman who can manipulate whatever she wants from a man. A very fine performance.

As Horace Vandergelder’s poorly paid and put-upon assistant Cornelius Hackl, Will Cox produces the sort of performance we’ve come to expect from this talented young actor. Cox gives a lesson in maintaining energy and pace and shines in his role.

Georgia Penglis is a delight as Irene Molloy, Hackl’s love interest. Penglis is a natural actor, with a very good stage presence.

Having lauded these actors, I have to say that two others steal the hearts of the audience; Kyle Hall and Pam O’Grady.

Hall is wonderful as young grocery assistant Barnaby Tucker, who innocently joins Cornelius Hackl on a rollicking New York adventure to escape their mean boss Horace Vandergelder and enjoy life. Hall’s capacity for physical comedy is sublime, his energy levels wonderful and his characterisation superlative as various challenges intervene to upset the young men’s applecart.

O’Grady is hugely funny and simply wonderful in her role as Miss Flora Van Huysen. Taking the character to the brink of the melodramatic, but never going over the top, she has the audience roaring with laughter. A towering performance.

Emma Bleby and Stephen Schofield do promising work as young lovers Ermengarde and Ambrose. Grace Berwald as Minnie Fay, Andrew Steuart as Malachi Stack and Maxine Grubel as Flora’s cook all develop strong characters, as do Matt Hein as Joe the cabman and Gus Pawlowski as Rudolph the restaurant waiter.

Rob Croser’s direction keeps the pace good, particularly in the second half of the play when farce kicks in. Croser also does a nice little cameo as Joe Scanlon.

Costumes are sumptuous, true to period and with perfect hair and makeup.

The Matchmaker has much to satisfy lovers of comedy, period plays, farce and a strong storyline, so there’s something in this play for almost everyone. In the hands of Rob Croser and his cast this Independent Theatre production will warm the hearts of all who venture out to the Goodwood Institute on a cold Adelaide winter’s evening. Don’t miss it.

Lesley Reed