A Flea In Her Ear (Sydney Theatre Company)

At its start, it's almost sophisticated, but along the way A Flea In Her Ear becomes something else entirely. This frenetic French farce is as far-fetched as it is fantastic. 

We are introduced to the most likeable character immediately, Camille Chandebise, played by Harry Greenwood. The speech-impaired character's physical comedy sets the scene for what is to come. The dialogue between the characters attempts to be accurate to the day (set in 1907), but as in his previous adaptations, Andrew Upton's script (based on Georges Feydeau's original) bounces along with colloquial ease and wit. 

We are placed in a mansion of the Chandebise's, Victor Emmanuel and Raymonde, played by David Woods and Harriet Dyer. The wife comes to the inaccurate conclusion that her husband is having an affair and concocts a trap with her 'sorority' best friend, Lucienne Homenides de Histangua, played extravagantly by Helen Christinson. What starts as a simple misunderstanding sets the scene for a plot that takes many twists, turns, comedic misadventure and all-together ridiculousness. 

The first act establishes all nine of the initial characters. The maid, Antoinette (Kelly Paterniti), her husband butler, Etienne (Leon Ford), the insatiable Dr Finache (Sean O'Shea), the 'Spaniard' (Justin Smith), an over the top portrayal of Lucienne's husband and the smooth lady's man, Marcel Tournel (Tim Walter). It's a large cast but the interplay between them all is exquisite. 

The trap comes off the rails as the gun-toting Spaniard assumes his wife is having an affair and declares war on her suitor. The smart clothing, clever dialogue, outstanding set design and enthusiastic acting combine to give the play a solid intro. 

It's the second act, however, that really brings this play into its own. Quickly we realise that six of the nine cast members assume completely new characters in the second act set in a dodgy brothel in Montmartre. The set now consists of two levels with multiple doors, rooms and hidden passages and we soon find out why. The cast navigate this set with precision. They are literally running through and delivering lines as the act becomes chaos. 

There's a whole new set of characters to discover. The pervert in room six; the drunken and abused porter; the naive work-experience girl; the plague-riddled bum. But it's Olympe, Ford's alter-ego, that really steals the second act. "Does she have a brother?"

The farce builds to an extreme level here and the laughs are a constant hum. When a pivotal set-piece, a rotating bed, fails to spin, we are put on pause but to comedic affect. To their credit, the cast deal with this stumble exceptionally and it seems to spur the crowd on to enjoy the ridiculousness of the story even more freely. 

It's almost hard to keep up, as cast members change characters in seconds, making us wonder how it all happens behind the scenes. Credit must go to director, Simon Phillips, for making it all come to life 'almost' flawlessly. The cast jump, tumble, dive and fight their way into the third act which returns to the house now combining all of the characters. 

A repeated piece of dialogue about going to a play; "It's ok, it was short", makes us think that maybe this one has gone a little too long as the last act doesn't quite have the punch of the previous two. 

The standout actor is undoubtedly Harriet Dyer. She carries her scenes with aplomb and the dynamic with her husband is endearing. Harry Greenwood's impediment is delivered wonderfully and we are kept wondering if he can ever find his palate. 

This play is worth seeing alone for the amazing feats of the cast and the outstanding and intricate set from Gabriela Tylseova, but you'll come to realise that even old stories can be hilarious if you just let yourself go along for the ride. 

Sydney Theatre Company presents A Flea In Her Ear at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House to 13 Dec.