On the Razzle is a fast-paced play of sharp, witty dialogue, puns and double entendres. In what playwright Tom Stoppard called, “a tale of two country mice escaping town for a day of illicit freedom,” two shop clerks set out for a day for fun while the pompous owner is away. For his part, the owner is determined to keep his niece away from a suitor, make an impressive showing at a parade and also set a date to marry his fiancée. The clerks and the niece who wants to elope with her suitor run into the shopowner they want to avoid, so they must duck and hide and there are plenty of instances of mistaken identity, identical cloaks and all kinds of other mishaps.
Stoppard (of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Shakespeare in Love fame) used an 1843 comedy by a Viennese playwright as a basis for On the Razzle. It is a story that has been reworked several times; one of the most well-known interpretations of the original play is Hello, Dolly!
The play is a lot of fun and the laughs keep coming because of its interesting mix of physical comedy and wordplay. Constellation made very inventive use of its small space with a revolving set, along with props and other techniques, such as using actors and twirling parasols to evoke a stagecoach.
If you are a regular at Constellation Theatre, you will see some familiar faces, including Ashley Ivey who played the title role in Crazyface.
See the Constellation Theatre Company production of On the Razzle at The Source Theatre until March 6, 2011.
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Constellation Theatre Company/Source Theatre, 1835 14th St. NW
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