A Flea in Her Ear

Sydney Theatre Company

French farces are a dicey prospect. They are silly by nature and they rely on spilt second timing from performers and a general suspension of belief from audiences.

The Sydney Theatre Company is staging 'A Flea in Her Ear'. The work is more than a century old but this adaptation, whilst retaining its period, is peppered with 21st century language to deliver a contemporary sense of comedy.

Two women of society set a trap for the husband of one of them to elicit proof of their belief that he is having an affair.

The first act sets up the situation and establishes the various characters. The second act provides the farce with mistaken identities, mistaken understandings and general foolishness.

The second act felt a little drawn out to me but otherwise this piece of froth provided plenty of laughs.