Candide
The Zoo, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Group: Par Exemplum Productions

Natasha Hulugalle

'Candide: it does exactly what it says on the tin'. It is the most frustrating and unfair judgement a critic can make, but this was a perfectly good production. Frustrating as one is forced to think in clichés, (Voltaire's classic enlightenment tale brought to life with Leonard Bernstein's musical score) and unfair as this perfectly good cast deserve more insight for their efforts.

Nevertheless, par exemplum's production of Voltaire's biting, witty satire etc ticked all the right boxes. Confident, physical performances with inventive yet simple staging/choreography and everyone singing in tune. Add to this the laughter of the audience at all the correct, bitingly satirical moments (that this is the best of all possible worlds, that everything happens for a reason, that too much reason can lead to hilarious consequences), and there is little else to say.

With regard to individual performances it is possible to be less jaded. Tarek Merchant as the unfortunate Candide and Ros Steele as his ideal love Cunegonde grew in confidence as the performance progressed and their comedic timing benefited from this confidence.

It may be sacrilegious (although ironically appropriate) to suggest, but Candide is perhaps just too exhausting and demanding to be enjoyed as a mere musical comedy. Laughing in a knowing way while also having to marvel at musical brilliance is just all to much for the weary critic who longs for some theatrical excitement.

3 August to 16 August.

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