“It wants to be read in a big voice,” Tennyson once challenged a would-be reciter of his work. “Can you make yours big enough?” The Victorian Poet Laureate was referring to a bold mode of public speaking, one that has fallen out of favor today, not only among poets, who have embraced a drab affectlessness, but also in the theater, where a more naturalistic style prevails.

However, big voices are emphatically on display in the Pearl Theatre Company’s new production of Sheridan’s Restoration comedy “The Rivals.” And while this performance style may not appeal to all tastes, it is perfectly suited to the play’s florid and beautifully cadenced language. It’s also well matched to the play’s elaborately plotted story line.