After having a successful season at the Haymarket and an excursion outside London, John Barton's elegant and sturdy production of The School For Scandal has come to the Duke of York's prior to a 14-week European tour. The mighty comedy of manners flows along easily, naturally, with hints and tints of modern manners contrasting with the 18th century.  It is a starry affair yet with no one player dominating, so that the spirit and pattern of the work emerges firmly, to the benefit of our greater entertainment.  Sheridan's fine web of relationships, personal and social and sometimes both, emerges from a Teazle and his wife and the Surfaces, with Mrs Candour and Rowley, as it were, chipping in with considerable importance and effect.  There is a constantly entertaining Teazle in Donald Sinden and Nicola Pagett is a charmingly cool and commanding Lady Teazle.

Michael Denison has a warm appeal with his good thinking as Sir Oliver Surface, and Joseph and Charles Surface are brought into things with grace and forcefulness by Clive Francis and Michael Siberry. Beryl Reid gets to the heart of the scathing wit of Candour as she artfully pretends no malice at all.  Dulcie Gray orders her way of matters splendidly as Lady Sneerwell, and Bill Fraser as Rowley, Harold Innocent as Crabtree, Richard Kane as Backbite, Gordon Gostelow as Moses, Julia Josephs as a Maria, Robert Aldous as Bumper, John Cunningham as Careless, John Tordoff as Snake and Stephen Jacobs as Trip, all add to the brilliance and fun of the production.