Well the Missus and I trundled over to Cambridge on Saturday (which is a colossal pain in the ass on weekends through December 17th) to catch the Nora Theatre Company’s production of The Revolutionists (through November 12) at Central Square Theater and say, it was . . . swellish.

Lauren Gunderson’s play takes place during the French Revolution and – Tom Stoppardly – brings together historical characters in a fun-house-mirror period piece.

Paris, France, 1793: The Reign of Terror. Four badass women conspire, plot murder, and resist extremist insanity. Join playwright Olympe de Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, Haitian activist Marianne Angelle and former queen Marie Antoinette as they hang out before each of them loses their… heads.

Here’s director Courtney O’Connor’s elevator pitch:

The cast is excellent: Lee Mikeska Gardner as the scatterbrained Olympe, Eliza Rose Fichter as the single-minded Charlotte, Alexandria King as the smoldering Marianne, and best of all,  Celeste Oliva (who was transcendent in the Nora production of Grounded two years ago) as an antic Marie Antionette. She’s a total hoot – until the end, obviously.

And the end, unfortunately, is the problem with The Revolutionists.

The second act, after a lively and very funny Act One, is too long and way too preachy.

But you should see it anyway, just for the performances of these four accomplished actresses.