BWW Reviews: CODE OF THE WEST, Tabard Theatre, October 17 2013

Joshua A Norton (David Janson) is the Emperor of the United States! At least, the folks of 1867 San Francisco - non-conformist, messy, pre-Goldrush - treat him so, indulging his English eccentricities, enjoying a pleasant distraction after the horrors of the decade's civil war. Enter Claire Greenleaf (Zoe Teverson) who wishes to match her charge, a Russian of royal blood, to the Emperor. But the Russian countess is none but Violet Allerton (Lucinda Forth), a Yankee heiress, whose inheritance is dependent on her marrying a titled gentleman. And any title will do.

Mark Giesser's Code of the West (at the Tabard Theatre until 9 November) has plenty of potential - who doesn't enjoy watching a long con being attempted, who doesn't enjoy a romance blooming between the two smartest people in the room and who doesn't enjoy a bit of banker-bashing? But it doesn't quite work. Too much of the dialogue is leaden when it should be golden and the disputes (having been painstakingly constructed) are resolved too quickly and, to this viewer at any rate, too bafflingly.

It's a missed opportunity because the cast get a lot right - Ms Teverson's comic timing is impeccable and Mr Janson's asides, half to himself, half to the audience, are also very amusing. Costumes too are very impressive and hair, whether on head or chin, utterly luxuriant. But the lack of balance in the play - there's an awful lot of people just talking to each other as the energy drains from the scene - proves ultimately insurmountable. That said, don't be surprised if this comedy - being shown in the UK for the first time - returns in a tighter, more dynamic version some time soon. After all, conmen like Norton never go away for long.