Podcast Summary: Cyrano de Bergerac starring Adrian Lester (Swan Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company) - ★★★★★ REVIEW

Podcast: MickeyJoTheatre
Host: MickeyJoTheatre
Episode Date: October 14, 2025
Episode Length: ~31 minutes
Reviewed Production: Cyrano de Bergerac (Royal Shakespeare Company, Swan Theatre)
Notable Star: Adrian Lester as Cyrano

Main Theme

MickeyJo, one of the leading theatre critics online, reviews the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, focusing on its contemporary innovations, creative choices, performances—especially Adrian Lester’s portrayal—and its emotional impact. This episode explores how classic works can be revitalized through inventive writing, acting, and stagecraft, making age-old stories resonate for modern audiences.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context & Adaptation Background

[01:34-04:10]

• MickeyJo reflects on his history with Cyrano, noting prior adaptations such as Virginia Gay’s queer reimagining and Jamie Lloyd’s contemporary version starring James McAvoy.
• Introduces RSC’s new adaptation, co-written by director Simon Evans and grime poet Debris Stevenson, with leading man Adrian Lester actively involved in development.
  • "I am fated never to see a traditional production of Cyrano." — MickeyJo [01:34]
• Emphasis on how recent adaptations have unpacked language, class, and identity.

2. Plot & Character Overview

[04:10-10:00]

• MickeyJo provides a detailed synopsis of Cyrano: the poet/soldier with the tragic flaw (his nose), unrequited love for Roxanne, and the romance triangle with Christian.
• Highlights the isosceles structure of their "love triangle"—both men love Roxanne, but not each other.
• Discusses thematic depth, including self-perception, longing, and the true nature of love.
• Notable quote:
  • "He’s been 17th century friend-zoned, essentially because…he is unwilling to tell a woman how he feels." — MickeyJo [05:35]

3. Innovations & Distinctive Choices in RSC’s Version

[10:00-14:20]

• Co-writing between director (Simon Evans), lead actor (Adrian Lester), and a grime poet results in "one thorough voice," contemporary but classically respectful.
  • "There is not much of a sense of patchwork...It is all one very thorough voice and a voice that nods to the classical, but is inherently contemporary." — MickeyJo [10:48]
• Notable comic and tonal ingenuity:
  • Play opens with meta-theatrical moments and a blend of sincerity with playful comedy.
  • Christian’s Hal-Zoan accent (West Midlands) adds class consciousness and a distinctive dynamic to Christian’s identity, making him sympathetic and "farm smart."
• Roxanne reimagined as a returning widow, giving her agency, wisdom, and desire; a mid-life woman seeking meaningful connection.
  • "She arrives with wisdom, life experience, but also with agency and desire." — MickeyJo [12:56]
• The theme of language diversity and the contemporary relevance of dialects (RP vs. regional British accents) is foregrounded.

Memorable Quotes

• "If I am to have another chance, I demand something more. Eyes that burn and a mind that dances." — Roxanne, as paraphrased by MickeyJo [13:10]
• "Grief sits on this city like dust." — Early line in the new adaptation [12:17]

4. Staging, Symbolism & Theatrical Devices

[14:42-21:30]

• Use of prosthetic noses for both adult and child actors as Cyrano—restoring the character’s iconic physical feature, impacting both comedy and heartbreak.
  • "Adrian Lester has a big old prosthetic nose, as does the young child actor who is playing young Cyrano..." — MickeyJo [14:50]
• The presence of young Cyrano as a recurring figure personifies Death; powerful visual motif culminating in the play’s finale.
  • "By the second act, in this moment of battle and crisis, that this younger version of himself represents Death." — MickeyJo [15:25]
• Comic visual gags, fourth wall breaks, and audience interaction (standing for de Guiche’s entrance).
• Integration of a live band (won by Cyrano in a bet), functioning both diegetically and as a cover for French farce:
  • "But the band exists because he won them in a bet. They even follow them to the front lines of the war..." — MickeyJo [18:29]
• Semi-anachronistic, characterful costume and set design underscore period meets present.
• Key visual: The acorn planted by Christian grows into a tree with a missing central section—symbolizing emotional emptiness after loss.

5. Music, Fight, and Movement Direction

[18:26-20:30]

• Musical compositions by Alex Baranowski; musicians listed and involved both on- and off-stage, often in commedia dell’arte masks.
• Fight and intimacy direction by Bethan Clarke, praised for "captivating sword fighting" and "beautiful, poignant intimacy."
  • "This is really fast sword fighting on stage and often done interspersed with dialogue and a battle of wits." — MickeyJo [19:54]
• MickeyJo highlights the acrostic-poetry duel as a high point for stagecraft and acting.

6. Final Act, Climax & Emotional Impact

[21:30-26:10]

• The final act’s visual poetry: Leaves transform into falling page fragments as Roxanne tears up letters—heartbreaking and beautifully staged.
  • "When she thinks she has simply been taken for a fool...more falling leaves...they are falling pieces of paper...raining down from the sky above." — MickeyJo [22:37]
• Play’s conclusion explores the pain of love left unsaid: Roxanne, after years of ignorance, finally learns of Cyrano’s love but it’s too late.
• "From all of the profound, verbose dialogue, all of the poetry...she just wants to hear 'I love you.'" — MickeyJo [25:20]
• The enduring message: The sacrifice of love—what’s withheld, the longing, and the resonance of unspoken feeling across a lifetime.

7. Performance Highlights & Company Praise

[26:10-30:37]

• Adrian Lester’s "depth of feeling, tension and presence," combined with wit and playful humor, bring Cyrano to life.
  • "There are really few things that can compete with Adrian Lester at the top of his game." — MickeyJo [26:13]
  • "He is such a remarkable actor and has inherently within him such a depth of feeling..." — MickeyJo [26:16]
• Susannah Fielding’s Roxanne is commended for her intellectual spark, humor, and capacity for both pathos and lightness.
• Levi Brown’s Christian shines as a more sympathetic, honest, and complex character than usual; his heartbreak, agency, and resistance make him stand out.
• Scott Handy’s de Guiche is played with insecurity rather than malice, a subtle and topical touch.
• All supporting cast and ensemble praised for clarity, focus, and energy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the contemporary adaptation:
  • "There is not much of a sense of patchwork... It is all one very thorough voice and a voice that nods to the classical, but is inherently contemporary." — MickeyJo [10:48]
• On Adrian Lester’s performance:
  • "There are really few things that can compete with Adrian Lester at the top of his game." — MickeyJo [26:13]
• On love’s tragedy and the play’s message:
  • "The real tragedy of it is this lingering love that Roxanne has clung to for years, that she believes she can no longer quite grasp… She just wants to hear 'I love you.'” — MickeyJo [25:20]
• On innovation in stagecraft:
  • "Leaves ... are falling pieces of paper of the same color ... raining down from the sky above. It is stunning, it's simple, it's striking, it's beautiful." — MickeyJo [22:37]

Key Timestamps

• 01:34 – Show begins; personal connection to Cyrano and context.
• 03:36 – Plot and characters of the original play.
• 10:00 – Unique aspects of RSC adaptation and writing process.
• 13:10 – Modernized Roxanne’s motivations and lines.
• 14:50 – Staging and the prosthetic nose, symbolism of young Cyrano.
• 18:29 – The band, music, and where comedy meets poignancy.
• 19:54 – Sword fighting and poetic duels.
• 22:37 – Final scene, falling leaves/paper visual, heartbreak.
• 25:20 – Play’s message about love.
• 26:13 – Adrian Lester’s performance review.
• 31:08 – Episode wraps up.

Conclusion & Recommendation

MickeyJo delivers an enthusiastic ★★★★★ review, hailing this Cyrano de Bergerac as a potent example of how classic texts can be simultaneously revitalized and honored. The collaboration between director, writer, and leading actor yields an energetic, witty, and profoundly moving production, with Adrian Lester’s performance at the core.

MickeyJo’s Verdict:
"If there is any justice in the world whatsoever, this production and its considerable panache ought to transfer to London, ought to be seen around the world...a fantastic roadmap about how to conjure magical, relevant and truthful new adaptations of classical works." [30:37]

Recommendation:
"Go and see this if you haven’t already. If you have already, let me know what you thought...Did you cry at the end? I cried at the end. Everyone cried at the end." [30:52]

For theatre lovers or anyone interested in new life breathed into the classics, this is an unmissable event—and review. MickeyJo’s blend of personal enthusiasm, clear analysis, and honest storytelling makes this episode a compelling must-listen (or must-read).