When the play premiered at the Versailles fête, because of Tartuffe’s attitude to religion, the archbishop of Paris, Hardouin, threatened excommunication for anyone who watched, performed in or read the play. Moliére therefore asked his friend King Louis XIV for support. The play was rewritten and called ‘Panulphe’ – a Sudanese word – but it was again banned. However, the King allowed private performances for the French aristocracy.

This presentation is by the Actors’ Hub, a wonderful training ground where quality, acting students, still at school or early university, are selected, encouraged and refined – a kind of ‘finishing’ school.

The two-hour performances start at 7.30 (not 8.00 as shown in some publications) each evening in the Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre, 174 William Street in Northbridge. The season runs until Saturday 25^th July.

The scene is Orgon’s Paris house in the 1660s. The set is a large, metre high dais against the rear backdrop; it has a chequered floor with steps at each side. A wooden dressing screen is at one side and a chaise lounge sofa at the other. Centrally is a bright red wooden chest. There are several, very large Chinese Ming-style urns.

           The rumour is that the stubborn, head of the household, Orgon (Jordan Holloway) would like his flighty daughter, Mariane (Emma Harvey) to break off her engagement to her handsome fiancé, Valère (Quaid Kirchner) and instead marry a guest in the house, Tartuffe (Adam Droppert) an amoral, hypocritical, religious aficionado whom Orgon admires very much.

         When Mariane’s stepbrother, Damis (Danen Engelenberg) hears of the father’s match made in Hell, he gathers Mariane, his uncle Cléante (Justin Gray) and even Dorine (Angela Mahlatjie) the nosey housemaid, to devise a plan to expose Tartuffe. The haughty, single-minded Grandmother, Madame Pernelle (Nicholas Allen), will have none of it and becomes angry.

        Damis tries to explain what a conman Tartuffe is, but Orgon whilst talking to Tartuffe, becomes convinced into thinking this is a deceitful, slanderous plan of Damis. Orgon becomes furious, cuts Damis out of his Will and casts him from the house. Tartuffe is thrilled when Orgon declares that he, Tartuffe, will become his new heir, even receiving the deeds of the house as a prenuptial gift.

        Tartuffe immediately corners Elmire, Orgon’s beautiful wife (Ashana Murphy) and tries to molest and seduce her. When Dorine comes to the rescue, a threesome almost results.

       Will the wolf in sheep’s clothing, Tartuffe, get away with his reverse psychology fraud, or will Orgon see through the dastardly plan?

A NIDA acting graduate, the multi-award winning director Vivienne Garrett has worked with the top Australian theatre companies and many stars of the screen. Her calling has spanned decades in theatre, film and television.

Vivienne has shown the cast how subtlety can be achieved even with the brash, larger than life characters. This wonderful cast shone. Faced with a very tricky rhyming script is always a challenge, however, when one actor passes a couplet halfway through, to another to finish, then the pace, intonation and expression must all be the same for the rhyme to work. Even when the fuming and exuberant Orgon passed a line to the calm, manipulative housemaid, Dorine, the whole effect still worked.

The play was sexy, ranging from the girlish, crush-like love of Mariane, to the normally demur Elmire who turns on all her sex glands in an attempt to seduce Tartuffe into her trap. Tartuffe himself was perfectly depicted as a slimy letch, as he tackled every woman in sight. The chemistry and dexterity of the actors was amazing.

This was not as many expected a dry, Shakespearean style drama, but a beautifully adapted and, in parts, an almost pantomime style performance that even the youngest members of the audience could follow.

Actors Hub always produces quality; this was the team at their very best. Many congratulations.

Gehle has been faced with the task of making a grim topic entertaining. This theatre-in-education piece was devised for upper school students, to help them access and then tackle the social issues that arise from the new social media technology. Communication can be persuasive, pervasive, challenging to our daily standards and concepts, even leading to excommunication from friends – this provocative and ironic play assists youngsters see through the tempting gloss, dependence and scams, and become aware of the ‘real world’ out there.

This 75-minute play can be seen at The Studio Theatre, Subiaco Arts Centre, 180 Hamersley Road, Subiaco nightly at 7.30 until Saturday 28^th March.

The set comprises of various sized, large white cubes moved around to create gathering places. Set by Jamie Davies.

       It is the Hamersly High School yard. In one corner Dez (Danen Engelenberg) is busy studying his iPhone, he talking to his latest girlfriend Lydia (Ashana Murphy. She has just sent him a ‘memorable’ photo; now they are arranging a wild party for the weekend. In another corner stand two naïve and excitable girls, Dez’s kid sister, Emily (Emma Harvey) and her best friend Sarah (Angela Mahlatjie). They are planning how to get an invitation to Lydia’s party.

     Tony (Jordan Holloway) is quietly reading his text messages, when one of his classmates (Quaid Kirchner) steals his phone for a joke, before typing in some unsavoury comments and then forwarding the message to the ‘world’. Further comments being added by Damian (Adam Droppert).

     Gavin (Justin Gray) searches and hacks away in an attempt to increase his collection of underage photos. Harry (Nicholas Allen) cheers up Emily and Sarah by secretly, and individually, offering to take them to the party – at a price.

     Will this fantastic party bring the happiness and fun that the friends expect?

I apologise for perhaps not linking the correct character name with the actor concerned, but the otherwise most informative programme omitted the characters’ names.

There were some amazing performances by these young actors. Emma and Angela were a total delight with their well-observed, pubescent characters. Every actor captured their persona perfectly. The message was slightly obvious, but it also made extremely clear the dangers of peer pressure and a desire to be loved.

Desne Smallberger’s lighting was well thought out, with selective lighting of areas and individuals. Tim Newhouse has created a subtle, most effective, slow (almost ad libitum) soundscape of music; at times the music was just the occasional note.

A most entertaining play that was fun, beautifully performed and directed. There are a few stars of the future in this show, so try and catch it before it tours the schools.