Bedroom Farce

Take one great playwright, add some stage magic, mix with three bedrooms, a sprinkling of talented actors and huge dollop of audience laughter and you have an evening fit for a king (or even a NODA Rep. to review).

This highly successful Ayckbourn farce directed by Steven Mann comprised a set featuring three bedrooms with three double beds dominating.   On this small studio theatre stage they were a tight fit, but nevertheless it worked well with the four couples, who were the entire cast.   Clever use of the various stage and auditorium exits / entrances helped provide the essential timing ingredients that either makes or breaks farce such as this.

The plot revolves around the house warming party thrown by Malcolm and Kate, who have invited Jan and Nick (he is doubled up in pain in bed with a bad back).   Also invited are Trevor and Susannah, whose relationship is falling apart mainly due to her hysteria and his dullness.   Both these traits are brought to the party with devastating results for all.    

Meanwhile, Trevor's parents, Delia and Ernest are preparing to celebrate their wedding anniversary at their favourite restaurant.   Louise Blewett and Geoff Brown as Delia and Ernest were superb as their natural middle class restraint and orderly lifestyle were torn apart by the chaos ensuing from the out of control Susannah and by her late night visit.                 

Chris Goldhawk and Emily Ayres as Malcolm and Kate were highly believable, the flat pack furniture assembly scene in the middle of the night was quite hilarious and beautifully acted (a disaster area so familiar to many of us).   

Sarah-Jane Vincent  and Mark Barnes as Jan and the bed-ridden Nick, visited very late at night by Trevor, pouring out his unwanted woes followed by falling asleep on their bed, both suffered it extremely well.   One really felt for them and especially for Nick's poor back when he fell out of bed so agonisingly. 

David Young and Imogen Smart Steel as the hapless Trevor and the hysterical Susannah had the best parts in this riveting play.   As the main cause of the chaos Susannah upset just about everyone on stage, her late night visit to her in-laws Delia and Ernest being almost too realistically painful to watch.    Trevor too was magnificent as her pathetic and helpless husband.  

There was so much to enjoy in this well devised and skilfully acted farce with spot-on timing always above par.    The realistic costumes and also the props were provided by the talented director Steven Mann.    Producer Stuart Yeatman was also in charge of lighting and sound both working well.   He also constructed the set, with Roy Barnes.

If there is a studio theatre in England as well run and performing such consistently superb plays as DDOS in their Green Room Theatre in Dorking I will be very surprised.

Once again Sue and I were given the warmest of welcomes and I both thank and congratulate DDOS for providing yet another memorable evening of entertainment.

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