I went with a friend to see a live streaming from the National Theatre Live of Cyrano de Bergerac. I’ve had a special place in my heart for the play ever since I saw a production of it on BBC TV broadcast February 1968 now sadly lost to posterity. A story of a man (a remarkable duelist, a gifted poet and a musician) who epitomised panache (the word was created to describe him). His only issue was that he had an enormous nose and considered himself to ugly to win the woman of his dreams. This is where the play reached out to me as an eighteen year old with a big nose, a love of language and, like all teenagers, a desire to woo women.
This production was in a modern setting with minimalist staging and like the original production was delivered in rhyme. Some of it was rapping which I’m not too keen on however it fitted well, if a little hard to follow at times. With James McAvoy playing Cyrano (without a prosthetic nose) and a strong supporting cast it was an excellent and memorable production.
