Fallen Angels Revival Sparkles with Byrne and O'Hara's Comic Brilliance
Rose Byrne and Kelli O'Hara are comic gems in a pitch-perfect revival of Noël Coward's Fallen Angels that sparkles like champagne at the Todd Haimes Theatre in New York. This lustful comedy, which premiered in London in 1925 and made Coward England's drawing room enfant terrible, has appeared only twice on Broadway since its 1927 stateside debut. Nearly censored for its sexual frankness, the play remains hilariously horny and startlingly modern nearly a century later.
A Proto-Godot Tale of Desire and Debauchery
Scott Ellis's revival is a champagne cocktail with the exact right ingredients: complete faith in the material, drop-dead deluxe design, and the sugar-and-bubbles combination of Oscar-nominated actor Rose Byrne and stage veteran Kelli O'Hara. The play is a sort of proto-Godot where two society women, Julia and Jane, drink themselves into a stupor while waiting for an old lover to arrive as their husbands are away golfing.
Their performances work brilliantly in converse, with Byrne's knack for bawdiness and O'Hara's born gentility swirling around to intoxicating effect. The unexpectedness of their pairing only serves their dynamic, as their characters goad each other's worst impulses until they come into conflict with their own.
Setting the Table Before Breaking the Dishes
The opening breakfast scene sets the table before breaking the dishes. Julia, played by O'Hara, wakes up feeling strangely ill at ease as her husband, portrayed by Aasif Mandvi, leaves for a weekend golf trip. Over breakfast served by their comically overqualified maid, Tracee Chimo, they sneer at a friend's pending divorce, unaware of the libidinous outburst to come.
Jane, played by Byrne, arrives with concrete grounds for anxiety: a postcard from a handsome playboy they both knew years ago, announcing a visit. Frazzled, Jane suggests fleeing to America, highlighting the seriousness of their predicament. The cleverness of Coward's play lies in how it heaps on reasons for distress while slyly eviscerating them, masking true fear with booze and civility.
Modern Sensibilities and Timeless Humor
Ellis thankfully does not condescend to contemporary sensibilities, allowing the century-old play to hold up marvelously. O'Hara swishes Coward's highborn language like a favorite chablis, excelling in physical comedy as she falls over furniture. Byrne takes a bit longer to settle but truly shines once her character is toasted, sneaking sips and hissing haughty proclamations.
David Rockwell's lavish art deco set earns curtain-raising applause, and Jeff Mahshie's costumes, topped with wigs by David Brian Brown and Victoria Tinsman, are exquisite. When the former beau finally arrives, played by Mark Consuelos in a perfect cameo, he proves irresistible, making Coward's roguish nudge to follow our instincts perfectly sensible.
This revival proves that Fallen Angels remains a timeless comedy, with Byrne and O'Hara delivering performances that are utterly delightful and compulsively watchable.
