As well as preventing people from wasting their precious coin on tickets to see mediocre theatre, I feel that it is the role of a theatre critic to provide the shows we review with constructive criticism. As such, this may be the most useless review I have ever had to write, as for the first time I can think of absolutely nothing to criticise – constructively or otherwise. If you’re wondering whether you should go and see Vanity Fair: An (Im)morality Play, the answer is a simple and straightforward ‘yes’. Count the stars, my friend. To be quite honest, there’s no real reason for you to read the rest of this (quite boring) review. Unless, of course, you were involved in the show and find yourself in need of some tasty morsels of validation. In which case, congratulations on your annoyingly brilliant play. Enjoy your morsels.

One of the two things which I wasn’t prepared for was just how much this play would make me laugh. While credit for some of the humour must go to Kate Hamill, who adapted Thackeray’s novel into the script, director Arianna Muñoz and the cast must be applauded for squeezing every last possible drop of hilarity from the dialogue. A comedic and unashamedly silly tone is set in the very first scene, which features Hugo Gregg in an insane wig as your classic pantomime dame.

“Following on from the hilarity, absurdity and romance of the first half, in the latter half of the play, everything gets – quite literally – very real”

In addition to the delightfully absurd and chaotically slapstick elements, comedy is used as a tool to allow the audience to better understand the characters. For example, Temitope Idowu’s brilliantly expressive and outlandishly physical portrayal of Becky contrasts beautifully with Kailan Hanson’s subtle and endearing yet no less hilarious performance as the awkward, sweet, friendzone-dwelling Dobbin. There are also some wonderful comedic characters, most notably Miss Crawley (Jaden Tsui), who falls into my favourite character archetype of ‘mean old eccentric rich lady in a period drama’.

The second thing that I wasn’t prepared for, as I returned to my seat after the interval with still-aching ribs, was how much this play would make me feel. Following on from the hilarity, absurdity and romance of the first half, in the latter half of the play, everything gets – quite literally – very real. This brave change of tone is marked by the death of Ollie Flowers’s caddish George Osborne (no, not that one). This not-particularly-tragic-tragedy paves way for Angela Okafor to flex her impressive dramatic muscles, having previously demonstrated immaculate comedic timing in her role as the privileged, sweet and naïve Amelia. The cast is adept at both comedy and naturalism, with every single actor able to switch between these two modes beautifully and seamlessly.

Aesthetically, the production is exceptional. Cody Knight’s set design is simple and colourful, and perfectly embodies the tension between old and new which the show plays with so wonderfully. Not only is the set design apt, but it also constantly surprised and delighted me. Elements of the set which only appear briefly such as an illuminated carousel demonstrate immense care and attention to detail. In all things, this production is simultaneously meticulous and extravagant.

“This play is – quite simply – the best thing I have seen in Cambridge”

Speaking of which, it would be impossible to review this show without devoting a paragraph to the sterling work of costume designer Ramisa Hassan. Every single garment worn by the cast is exquisitely beautiful. With the dresses – which, I believe, were largely hand-made – bold colours and modern details, such as a sequin overskirt, are applied to Regency-era silhouettes, creating costumes which ground the audience in the setting while perfectly embodying the characters who wear them.

Sound designer Tirza Sey similarly plays with temporality with a soundtrack featuring instrumental versions of contemporary songs à la Bridgerton. Music is used to great effect throughout, helping to build emotion during scenes as well as smooth out the transitions between them. On a personal note, please drop the playlist! While we’re on the technical side, Cat Salvini’s ambitious lighting design was completely captivating, at times lending the play a mystical, dream-like quality while subtly evoking the atmosphere of a fairground.

So, there you have it. This play is – quite simply – the best thing I have seen in Cambridge, and you will miss out terribly by not going to see it too. This is quite annoying, as had it been anything less than exceptional I would have been able to title this review ‘Calamity Fair’, which a friend of mine came up with on the way to the theatre. If the rejection of a brilliant pun-based title doesn’t serve as proof that there was quite literally nothing about this play with which to find fault, I don’t know what does.

Vanity Fair: An (Im)morality Play is playing at the ADC 24th-28th of May at 7.45 pm.