Reimagined by Martin Crimp and presented by Artefact Theatre Company, this production of the classic 1897 Edmond Rostand classic has been touted as a “radical adaptation” by the publicity notes, so one comes expecting some hefty rewrites.

Will it be like a previous MTC offering, a gender bender, with the titular character played by a woman? Will it be set in our techo-slavish modern times with the love letters delivered via the pings of text messages?

Cyrano de Bergerac. Photo © Matthew Chen

Directed by Matthew Cox, this version’s immediate difference is its pared-back set: a central platform with the audience seated on two opposite sides. Elaborate period costume is also eschewed for a contemporary casual wardrobe. Perhaps the most radical change, however, is the language: it’s been modernised. Cyrano raps like a slam poet. This update thrillingly elevates the poetry of the original to a hip-hop street beat (with bonus sprinkled profanities). 

Indeed, its minimalist set and no frills costumes means fewer distractions on stage, all the better for the attention to be focused on the potency of words to cut through pomposity, wound enemies, fire the imagination and, of course, seduce. 

For those unfamiliar with the story, it riffs on the familiar love triangle, with Cyrano in love with Roxane, but his perceived ugliness leads him to feel unworthy of her hand. Roxane, meanwhile, has her heart set on Christian, whose good looks overshadow his inarticulateness. The play explores the tragic fallout when one man’s wit and another’s beauty combine to deceive, beguile and charm.

Mark Yeates and Callum O’Malley in Cyrano de Bergerac. Photo © Matthew Chen

As Cyrano, Mark Yeates is a revelation. He leans into his masculinity and is every bit believable as both a fighter and a wordsmith. The fact that there is no fake proboscis on our warrior-poet (even though the puns about his enormous nose are kept in the script) means that we are led to think his insecurities may be internal. Yeates comes on strong with his strutting machismo, but it’s the eventual show of vulnerability and sensitivity beneath the bravado that’s captivating. 

Cazz Bainbridge’s Roxane is his match in feistiness and intelligence; she’s no mere prize but grapples with her own ideas of love, limerence and self-expression and strains for an autonomy that is denied her in this patriarchal world.

As Christian, Callum O’Malley imbues his character with a verbal awkwardness borne of youth rather than fecklessness, while the supporting cast frames the trio of protagonists with an energy that’s emboldened by the stark lighting design and eclectic musical soundtrack.

Kudos to Crimp, Cox and the rest of the creative team for paying homage to Rostand while simultaneously revitalising Cyrano in this fresh, invigorating interpretation. 

Cyrano de Bergerac plays at fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne until 28 February.