After seeing the opening night of the Studio Theatre Club's latest venture, I can heartily recommend it. This compact play by Ben Travers has all the hallmarks of a great farce: wordplay, witty one-liners, the occasional moment of slapstick, endless rounds of subterfuge and deception, and one or two mistaken identities. It is funny, silly, and thoroughly engaging.
The plot concerns Gerald and Clive Popkiss, cousins and visitors to the seaside town of Chumpton, where Gerald's formidable sister-in-law Gertrude and her browbeaten husband Harold reside. Matters get interesting when Rhoda Marley, a local girl much-maligned by Gertrude's gossiping, arrives at Rookery Nook late at night and dressed only in pyjamas. In order to avoid a scandal, the three of them, aided reluctantly by the unfortunate Harold, must keep the news from Gertrude, find Rhoda some suitable attire, and avoid her overbearing German step-father.
Such shows hinge on the standards of the cast, and Rory Morrison (Gerald), Calum Mitchell (Clive) and Victoria Maskell (Rhoda) put in sterling performances to keep the action zipping along nicely. The supporting cast, particularly Matthew Kirk as the hapless Harold, provide excellent and ever-increasing numbers of in-laws, housekeepers, Admirals and step-fathers to add to the chaos and confusion.
Performed in the picturesque setting of the Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon, and on until Saturday, I advise anyone interested in an evening of laughter and absurdity to go along.
- Jobs
- What's On
- Property
- For Sale
- Bikes
- Boats
- Books, CDs, Videos, DVDs
- Cars, Motorbikes & Caravans
- Children's Things
- Clothes & Accessories
- Computers
- Electric & Electronic
- Free Stuff!
- Furniture & Bedding
- Gardening
- Kitchen & Domestic Items
- Lifts, Journey Shares, Tickets
- Lost and Found
- Musicians, Instruments & Kit
- Other Sales
- Pets
- Phones
- Sports Equipment & Players
- Wanted
- Services
- Tuition
- Oxford Guide
- Food & Drink
- Reviews
- Blog
- About