Sunday Express, 28 July 1991, by Clive Hirshhorn
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Ballerina Natalia Makarova certainly looks - and sounds - 
like a Russian grand duchess.

Indeed, on paper she is perfect casting for Tatiana 
Petrovna, the heroine of Jacques Deval's 1934 comedy 
"Tovarich" (Chichester Theatre).

The fact that she is still somewhat tentative in the role 
and that her command of English is rather less secure than 
her arabesques, are minor blemishes.

She brings star quality to the role of an aristocrat who, 
with her husband Prince Mikhail, fetches up in Paris after 
the Revolution.

Poverty stricken, Tatiana and her Prince (Robert Powell) 
hide their real identities and become maid and butler to the 
wealthy Parisian family Arbeziat.

Their successful deception is the fulcrum on which Deval's 
enjoyable jape pivots and it fleshes out an evening that 
begins slowly, gather momentum but loses steam as it wordily 
chugs towards the finale.

For Powell, who made his name playing Czar Nicholas opposite 
Janet Suzman's Alexandra, the part is something of a 
homecoming and he fills it splendidly.

Patrick Garland's well-paced and enjoyable production also 
benefits from Sarah Badel and Rowland Davies, as the 
Arbeziats, and Tony Britton as a Bolshevik.



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