Review: DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS at Seacoast Repertory Theatre

There’s one thing that the Seacoast Repertory Theatre knows how to do very well. It’s transforming their intimate, brick-walled space in Portsmouth into a world that feels ten times its actual size. Their current production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels—the 2005 musical based on the Steve Martin/Michael Caine film—is a fun, high-energy farce, delivering a cocktail of sophisticated wit and unapologetically lowbrow humor that pleases like a French martini.

The story transports us to the sun-drenched French Riviera, where the suave, seasoned con artist Lawrence Jameson (Stu Dias) makes a lucrative living swindling wealthy women out of their fortunes. His world is disrupted by the arrival of Freddy Benson (Robert Fabricio Armstrong), a sloppy, small-time American drifter who works any angle for a free meal.

What follows is a high-stakes "con-off." The two strike a bet with the first one to swindle $50,000 from the "American Soap Queen," Christine Colgate (Taylor Fish), stays in town, while the loser must pack his bags.

Dias embodies his role with a velvet-voiced elegance. He manages to make Lawrence’s predatory nature feel strangely charming—a man who views "fleecing the flock" as a refined public service. His performance is a highlight, showcasing a blend of vocal precision, effortless charisma, and an encyclopedia of trysts.

Conversely, Armstrong is a kinetic explosion of physical comedy. Whether he is pretending to be Lawrence’s "socially challenged" brother, Ruprecht, or faking a psychosomatic paralysis to garner sympathy, his commitment to the bit is total. The contrast between Lawrence’s "Old World" sophistication and Freddy’s "New World" vulgarity is where the show’s comedic engine really hums. It is as if Felix Unger and Oscar Madison of “The Odd Couple” become roommates once again.

Fish, as the "Soap Queen" is portrayed with a wide-eyed, bubbly sincerity that makes the eventual plot twist even more satisfying. Her rendition of "Here I Am" captures the perfect "clumsy-yet-lovable" energy required to make the audience fall for her just as hard as the scoundrels do. Fish is a talented vocalist with a uniquely distinct sound, not a stuffy recital performance, but a generally heartfelt styling that makes audiences love her. She is a well polished gem.

There’s a wonderful subplot with Jolene Oakes (Hadley Withington), a down-home Oklahoma charmer that’s determined to make Lawrence wed her. She brings about a few yee-haws, cow folk attire, and hoe down stomping action.

Andre Thibault (Kevin Lundy) is a great supporting character as the local gendarme easily open to a bribe to assist in the onslaught of scandals while Muriel Eubanks (Dru Daniels) is an oversexed  floosy looking for a far-flung fling at a moment’s notice. Lundy and Daniels are standouts in many scenes, but their sub plot romance together provides a sweet, surprisingly grounded counterpoint to the main trio's cynicism and deception.

This show relies on creative staging and quick paced action, both wonderfully handled by director, Alexandra Mullaney. The scenic design deserves a nod for its efficiency to set designer, David Walters, and scenic artist, Nura Walters. With clever lighting transitions and an array of set pieces that move flawlessly from scene to scene, the audience is whisked to the opulent suites of the French hotels or to the deck of a train with ease. (I must say that The Seacoast Rep always produces the best scene changes ever where they move, store and stuff set pieces with remarkable ease and precision timing. Not an easy thing to do in such a small space.)

The costumes, by DW, play a vital role with Lawrence’s tailored suits as a stark visual contrast to Freddy’s loud, ill-fitting American tourist attire, subtly reinforcing the class warfare at play between the two.

David Yazbek’s music and lyrics are notoriously clever, filled with internal rhymes and unexpected jabs. The orchestra, directed by William Asher, manages the brassy, jazzy score perfectly with a full robust sound. Asher, usually confined to the off-stage orchestra, even makes an onstage appearance at times with a clever visual trick.

I’ve seen Dirty Rotten Scoundrels elsewhere, and it barely registered. The Seacoast Rep version, however, has teeth. It’s crisp, funny, and vocally strong across the board. More importantly, it understands the show’s tone: light on its feet, unapologetically silly, and built for pure entertainment.