The opening night of the scandalous story of Madame Bovary was shown on the 4th of December in Christ's Hospital schools’ theatre. It was later performed three more times over 2 nights and was filled with love affairs, innuendoes and tragedy, in the true French fashion.

The original book was written by Gustave Flaubert and tells the story of the intrepid Emma Bovary tied down by her mundane country life and filled with dreams of seeing the beauties of Paris.

As her passionate desires couldn't be fulfilled by her husband Charles, her attentions lay elsewhere within a series of affairs and thoughtless spending. However, this only led to her downfall, and without the funds to settle her debts and loss of lovers she turns to a hefty dose of arsenic to end her final act.

The audience enjoyed many twists and turns throughout. The first of which was starting from the end of the play, involving four rat catchers or ‘vermin terminators’ who eventually crossed paths with the magnificent Madame Bovary.

To begin, the story of the play seemed a little vague, but eventually became clearer as the story of the protagonist came to life.

Emma Bovary, a romantic woman on a desperate search for passion and excitement was excellently portrayed by Amelie Beauchamp, who previously performed in the production of Les Misérables. Amelie perfectly embodied Emma’s dramatic and impulsive personality, immediately capturing the audience with her fearless gumption and free spirit.

This was contrasted by Charles Bovary, played by Guy McKee-Jones, who’s meek and caring character was so well conveyed that you couldn't help but sympathise with his naiveties.

Of course, Emma Bovary's story would not be complete without her two lovers: Rodolphe Boulanger and Léon Dupuis. This pair, especially had the audience in fits of laughter with their witty humour and spicy scenes.

Such as Rodolphe's unforgettable scene through the woods ending with Amelie performing a striking pose in Rodolphe's arms with her leg in the air. Or Léon's abrasive 6-hour tour of Rouen which suggested that there was more than just sight-seeing on their journey.

An audience member and student said that ‘the acting was really good but the plot was lost slightly throughout the play.’

The technique of using the rat catchers and other actors as narrators between scenes to provide the infill of the story, did not completely clarify the entire plot.

Due to the terrific acting the audience felt attached to Emma Bovary by the end of the play and a sense of hope that this may not be a tragedy after all, but it was only a matter of time.

The actors involved in the play formed strong and fantastic relationships with each other which made their connections on stage seem more real. As one of the performers quoted ‘I love being involved in plays because it allows me to make lots of new bonds with fun and exciting people.’

Overall, the play was dramatic, devastating and tragic, just what Gustave Flaubert would have wanted.