The Oxford Companion to the Theatre opines of textual translations, 'In transit the wit evaporates and only a skeleton plot is left. This, however will not deter people from trying'. Fortunately for Scottish Theatre, we have Liz Lochhead to disprove the theory.

Tartuffe is a scammer. He's wormed his way into Orgon's family home under the guise of being a devoutly religious and just man. The family all suspect his motives but Orgon will not believe them and instead takes to believing that the family themselves are jealous and wicked. The deception takes its toll on the family when Orgon tries to force his daughter Marianne to marry Tartuffe; and when Tartuffe tries to get it on with Elmire…Orgon's wife. When Orgon finally has a moment of clarity he is promptly kicked out of the house and told never to return. Unfortunately while doing this Orgon completely forgets that he's signed the deeds of the estate over to Tartuffe.
Mark Thomson, Artistic Director of The Lyceum states in his programme note that “ the company are a fantastic troupe of Scottish actors and under the direction of Tony Cownie they will reassert that close affinity we have with Moliere and reinvigorate that connection”, and with Liz Lochhead's fantastic rhyming translation, he's not wrong.

The company of Scottish actors are among some of the finest around at the moment and each of them turns in wonderfully palatable moments, grasping the absurdity of the situations they find themselves in and handling the complex language with absolute ease.

Particular attention should be paid to the women of the company with Jennifer Black's dignified yet comic portrayal of Orgons long suffering wife Elmire and Maureen Carr's show stealing bawdry in her delivery of Dorine, a maid on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Performances: 13 January - 11 February 2006