Stratford Festival 2025/Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, book by Jeffrey Lane, music and lyrics by David Yazbek, based on the 1988 film, directed by Tracey Flye, choregraphed by Stephanie Graham, music direction by Frank Brasz, Avon Theatre, closes Nov. 23.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Photo: David Hou
There is a particular pleasure in seeing a show that understands its own extravagance and embraces it wholeheartedly. Stratford’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, staged in the Avon Theatre, is unapologetically lavish, visually seductive, and driven by two commanding male performances that anchor the comedy with precision and style.
The Avon stage proves once again to be an ideal home for glamour. The sets and costumes create a sun-drenched Riviera fantasy that invites the audience into a world of elegant hotels, seaside villas, and carefully cultivated deception. This is theatre that looks expensive in the best sense, with design elements that are both handsome and theatrically expressive. The visual splendour is not merely decorative; it establishes the stakes of the con and the allure of the lifestyle the characters are desperate to protect.
At the heart of the production are Jonathan Goad (Lawrence Jameson) and Liam Tobin (Freddy) as the rival con men. Goad brings polish, control, and seasoned comic timing to his role, embodying a man who has turned deception into an art form. His performance is confident and finely calibrated, allowing the humour to emerge through understatement as much as bravado. Karas provides a contrasting energy, youthful, agile, and delightfully unrestrained. Together, they create a classic double act, their scenes crackling with competitive tension and escalating absurdity.
The chemistry between the two men is the engine of the show. Each understands how to listen, how to build a joke, and how to let a moment land before pushing it further. Their musical numbers are performed with clarity and commitment, and their physical comedy is sharply executed. The audience’s delight is palpable, responding to the precision of the performances as much as to the wit of the material.
The female lead, Shakura Dickson (Christine Colgate), brings vocal assurance and dance capability to the role, navigating the score with confidence. While the performance does not dominate the stage in the same way as the two male leads, she contributes effectively to the narrative, serving as both catalyst and counterweight within the story’s elaborate schemes. In a show so firmly centred on male rivalry, this balance feels appropriate, even if it leaves less room for emotional depth.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has an interesting lineage. The musical is based on the 1988 film of the same name, directed by Frank Oz and starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine. The stage adaptation retains the film’s love of farce, disguise, and escalating deception, translating cinematic set pieces into theatrical form. The score and book lean into broad comedy, and this production understands that success lies in committing fully to the silliness while maintaining technical control.
The Stratford production does exactly that. The pacing is brisk, the staging clear, and the ensemble supports the principals with discipline and flair. Dance numbers are lively without becoming cluttered, and scene changes are handled smoothly, maintaining momentum throughout. Both director Flye and choreographer Graham have brought the full weight of their professional powers to ensure that this production is a class act in every way.
What lingers after the curtain call is not only the humour, but the sense of craft on display. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels may not aspire to emotional profundity, but it excels at what it sets out to do. It entertains generously, looks magnificent, and showcases performers who understand the demands of classic musical comedy.
In the Avon Theatre, this production feels entirely at home. It offers audiences a feast for the eyes and a masterclass in comic partnership, reminding us that there is enduring value in a show that knows how to dazzle, amuse, and deliver pleasure with confidence.