|
|
|
|
|
|
Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
|
|
Happy(ish) families. Rod Bissett as Robert, Lucy Talbot as Suzette, Francesca Rees as Jaqueline and Gareth May as Bernard Don't Dress for Dinner Grange Playhouse ***** A good rule of thumb to follow is the simple advice that when you find yourself in an ever-deepening hole it is best to stop digging and to climb out as quickly and gracefully as possible. Bernard and Robert, meanwhile, it appears never got that particular message, so are still merrily shovelling away, getting in deeper and deeper, with their hole reaching the stage of needing planning permission in this delightfully daft, laugh out loud Marc Camoletti comedy. It all starts with a simple premise: Jaqueline is off to visit her mother for the weekend while her husband, Bernard, is staying at home, a situation he is more than happy with as it gives him a chance to get some work done. Now you might wonder why he is so eager to get Jaqueline, played by Francesca Rees, out of the house but then again having your wife around does tend to put a damper on the work you are hoping to get done, in this case the work being a romantic weekend planned with his mistress.
Bernard in negotiations with Suzette with Robert in the background It's all set up with a gourmet meal prepared by a cordon bleu cook from an agency and . . . a visit by Robert, Bernard's best man at his wedding. This is a last-minute and, you suspect, unplanned addition, Robert having invited himself the previous day, but, silver lining an all that, a possible alibi if needed. It all gets a bit confusing about two minutes after the start and, well, pretty well stays that way until about two minutes from the end. In between . . . who knows. It's all rather . . . .fluid, but it is certainly rollicking good fun. The first problem arises when Jacqueline gets suspicious and cancels her plans so will be staying at home which means Bernard, played with a sort of manic air Basil Fawlty would be proud of by Gareth May, sets the ball rolling with one easy to believe (at a pinch) lie. That one small(ish) lie was like the first snowflake in a veritable blizzard of fibbery with each new lie propping up the last or creating a new and even more far-fetched scenario as it all starts to go belly-up at the speed of light. Bernard is trying to hide his extramarital activities, Rod Bissett's Robert arrives with his own secrets, the cook, Suzette, played by Lucy Talbot is wonderfully amenable . . . at a price . . . and then there is Suzanne, played by Cath Black, who is . . . well she arrives and she is . . .well can't really cook, we do know that much. Did we mention George? George, played by Damien Dickens, is Suzette's husband, another chef, who is simply what he says he is, which is a novelty. He arrives to collect her after her stint as the cook, and, incidentally, is willing to kill anyone who messes with his Suzette . . . who by this time has become a mistress for two clients and has also become a niece of an uncle she never had, and, as Damien is also the production's stage manager, it would be wise not to cross him . . . just saying . . .
Robert and Bernard with Cath Black as femme fatale, or maybe cook (who knows any more) Suzanne in her €2,000 coat . . . Incidentally, Bissett was celebrating his birthday on opening night, which was about the only thing actually true . . . Lie is piled on lie, confusion reigns, improvisation is the name of the game as far as Bernard and Robert are concerned and, adding to the muddle, it seems no one is quite who or what they claim to be in this classic French farce with its mix of glorious slapstick, clever wit and unfulfilled promise of marital infidelity We have Bernard growing ever more desperate, Jacqueline ever more suspicious and Robert ever more unbelievable in his attempts to maintain a fiction that was never credible in the first place. Then there is Suzette, the hired cook with a penchant for Cointreau, who will be whatever you want her to be, at €50 a pop, and to add to the mix, Suzanne who is . . . well even she isn't sure any more. Robin Hawden's adaptation keeps the essence of Camoletti's Parisian boulevard comedy with his delicious wit, endless misunderstanding, thwarted nookie and multi layered plot as situations escalate out of control, explanations unravel and everything collapses like a failed soufflé. To create that level of confusion, mayhem, with no one sure of what is going on, demands precision timing, that essential of all good comedy, and the cast manage it quite beautifully with entrances and exits on meticulous cue, lines delivered at breakneck pace when needed or delayed using the unteachable power of the pause to add comic effect and with well timed asides, glances and gesticulations all adding to the mix. To get to that level of perfection in chaos takes a great deal of hard work and rehearsal. We even have a long complex and rambling explanation from Robert, a speech which covered all the events in order to add an extra layer of confusion – and earn a round of applause. The result is a superbly acted, wonderfully funny, witty and sophisticated French farce. They say laughter is the best medicine. Sadly, another lie, but if it were true then this would cure pretty much anything. Directed with a commendable deft touch by Grange Players' Arts Director Sara Bissett, Bernard will be desperately seeking Suzanne as one might say to 26-07-25. Roger Clarke 17-07-25 Grange Player |
|
|
|
