A la Universitat

The Teatre Goya production follows faithfully to Wilde’s play which is not exact the same that Wilde’s text because Jordi Sala, translator and adaptator, together with Josep Maria Mestres, director, wanted it to appear as if the playwright was someone who could be seated amongst us. That is why we heard about Brussels instead of Vienna, the European Union instead of Paris as well as air-conditioned instead of draught; perhaps we should have heard something like another Millet case.

Nevertheless it must be pointed out that the opening of the play is essential for the audience to know where we are. At the very beginning of the play there is a change in respect of the original text because Arthur Gorin makes a sort of monologue while in the original there is a dialogue between Mrs. Marchmont and Lady Basildon. The said monologue intends to make clear that Arthur Gorin is the main character of the play and, at the same time, although he begins with a touch of frivolity he ends with social criticism by saying that lies are the truth of the others. This monologue is meant to tell the audience that Arthur Goring will be an essential character in the play. In this respect is worthy to note that the character of Arthur Gorin is played by Joel Joan –an actor who moves easily between this mixture of play-boy and savoire-faire and also he is tall and handsome. On the other hand the said dialogue between Mrs. Marchmont and Lady Basildon -which is a specimen of false politeness- is replaced by a dialogue between Mabel and Caversham, Goring’s father, are at the Chilterns, so we are before the luxury of a private family house where the owners are giving one of their traditional dinner-parties in which guests are of the same social status. As people is at the entrance door they are duly announced by the herald and just after are welcomed by the Chilterns.

The irony in mentioning Millet goes direct to what Mestres wanted to convey to the play from the very beginning: what was going on in the Wilde’s England is also what Wilde would write if he lived in Catalonia today, that is to say, the presentness. To be more accurate one should say the presentness of this play of the past.

Wilde, Sala & Mestres tell us that is hardly impossible to be an ethical politician and this is why Arthur Goring says “In England a man who can’t talk morality twice a week to a large popular immoral audience is quite over as a serious politician” and this is the problem of Victoria Chiltern/Mercè Pons who is all the time absolutely sure that her husband is unique in his goodness in the House of Commons and that when she finds out that her beloved husband, Robert Chiltern/Abel Folk, is just like everybody else then she collapses. Robert Chiltern is not a hero as his wife deeply thought.

The character more difficult to play is the bad woman, a mixture of witch and “femme fatale”; however Sílvia Bel performs the best Mrs. Laura Chevely that I have ever seen. Her high pitch resounds with command all the theatre house, she is also a tall woman, perhaps the highest actress of the Goya stage, this helps to give her strength to what she says and, last but no least, she wears a beautiful red long dress that always shows any of her perfect legs. It must be pointed out that a woman in red produces a sense of passion, vitality and frivolity –and outsiderness?- which matches with her message since she is not interest in anything serious for the sake of it; seriousness is only what concerns her own interests. All this gives strength and sex-appeal to that intriguing woman. That is why she says to Robert Chiltern: “Tant me fa, a mi, aquesta vida social! És massa matrimonial. Les dones, o bé es dediquen a caçar marits o bé se n’amaguen. Jo el volia conèixer a vostè; aquesta és la pura veritat. Ja sap com és la curiositat d’una dona: gairebé tan gran com la d’un home. El volia conèixer per sobre de tot i... demanar-li que fes una cosa per mi. Per començar, ens podríem tractar de tu, Robert”

Joel Joan, as it happens many times with him, plays himself; nevertheless he is a believable Arthur Gorin because there is not any difference between being useless or good for nothing as his father says in the original; however, on the other hand Arthur Gorin is the loyal and perfect friend that a man like Robert Chiltern needs on the occasion. Robert Chiltern is the politician who is in danger of social scorn and of ending his promising political career because of Laura Chevely. We notice that “flesh is weak” and are to understand that he was young and not sensible enough when he had that unethical behaviour. Robert Chiltern has an average appearance, he is one of us, a human being that has been caught for a fraud made long time ago. On the other hand Arthur Gorin wears a mask in the sense that his frivolous appearance has disappeared and he becomes the hero of the play as it has been said, more or less, at the the very beginning.. Arthur Gorin is who saves Robert Chiltern, gets rid of Laura Chevely, makes Robert’s wife happy and marries Mabel, so his father will not say any longer that he is good for nothing.

This Wilde’s play is not harsh against who make fraud, it seems that they deserve a certain understanding as per the old Catalan proverb that says “who works with oil gets his fingers oily” (qui amb oli treballa els dits se n’unta). Indeed we expect from politicians to be without moral flaw and, at the same time, we are ready not to blame them too high because we all are Robert Chiltern.