Don’t Dress For Dinner

The director, Sara Bissett described this as a hilarious comedy. It was an accurate description for, ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner,’ was extremely funny; this was a farce with elements of absurdity, physical humour and some ridiculous situations.Her first attempt at directing this comedy would have tested even the most seasoned directors. It demanded a frantic pace and keeping the audience engaged by the chaotic energy on stage from the opening lines right to the finish. Sara’s direction helped to achieve this. The cast dashed about the setat breakneck speed to keep their deceptions, with split second exits and entrances made possible by the set’s four doors and a staircase. This play demanded a strong element of physical comedy, and this was very thoughtfully choreographed too by Sara, making effective use of the set's space as well as keeping the audience in shock and surprise and generating hearty laughter. The wordy dialogue in the script was delivered flawlessly without hesitation and often rapidly andalways with appropriate emotion by each member of this cast.The casting for this production was outstanding, and it was evident that the performers had rehearsed thoroughly. Thesetting for this play is worthy of commendation too; this wasthe interior of a converted farmhouse outside of Paris, home to Jaqueline and Bernard, and was designed by Sara Bissett and Rod Bissett. It was very functional, realistic and impressively detailed. It included a barn door for the main entrance, a front window, and furniture that included a corner bar with bar stools, a comfortable sofa and chair. Whiteinterior bedroom doors were labelled to represent farm animals, one being ‘The Piggery.’

This play is about infidelity and mistaken identity. Bernard, played by Gareth May is planning a romantic weekend with his mistress, Suzanne, (Cath Black) in his french farmhouse, whilst his wife, Jacqueline, (Francesca Rees) is away, visiting her mother. He has arranged for a cordon bleu cook, Suzette (Lucy Talbot) to prepare meals for them, and he has invited his friend Robert (Rod Bissett) as his alibi. Little does Bernard know, Jacqueline and Robert are having an affair.Suzette has a nickname Suzie which is also shared by Bernard’s mistress, which leads to endless confusion. When Robert answers the door to Suzie the cook, he believes she is Bernard’s mistress. But when Jacqueline arrives back home,he passes her off as his date to cover for his friend becausewhen Jacqueline heard that Robert is at her house, she hadswiftly cancelled her visit to her mother. By the time Robert realises his mistake it is too late to correct the mistake without exposing his own affair or his friend’s. Despite the eccentricities of her clients Suzette is happy to play along as Robert’s girlfriend or niece extorting additional payments from both men for each layer of deception. Meanwhile, Suzanne is mistakenly identified as the hired cook, a position for which she is unsuited, resulting in further,’ comedic situations. In the final scene of this play the plot climaxes with the arrival of Suzie’s husband, George (Damien Dickens) an aggressive man who misreads the situation, threatens Bernardin the confusion, further adding to the hilarity.

This was a well performed production, and the cast reallyseemed to enjoy themselves. Gareth May was well cast as the philandering husband, Bernard, conjuring up scheme after scheme and appearing suitably perplexed and frustrated in his expressions and body language as events spiralled out of control. He was superb at handling some slapstick comic moments and feigning pretence, his characterisation dynamic with mannerisms, a little reminiscent of, ’Basil Fawlty.’Francesca delivered an astonishing performance as Jacqueline, both the jealous and cheating wife of Bernard. Her interactions seem so natural, her characterisation credible. Therole of Robert was expertly played by Rod Bissett. His facial expressions were amazing, so much so that without him even speaking he conveyed his dismay at his predicament as confusions built up into many twists and turns. I also appreciated how well he used ‘thinking time,’ and body language when responding to each charade and puzzlement. His lengthy and rapid explanation of what had gone wrongtowards the end of the play was a triumphant performance andis a testament of Rod’s talent to master a long and involved speech. The spontaneous applause from the audience was well deserved. Lucy Talbot was delightful as the French cook,Suzette, delivering her lines with conviction sustaining her French accent with perfection, her expressions of incredulity believable. She was lively on stage, showcasing excellent comedic timing and seamlessly adapting to each character she interacted with. Suzanne was elegantly played by Cath Black. She gave a confident, flawless performance as the ’real’mistress, first arriving in her fur coat appearing every bit asthe ‘sex kitten’ but, when events unfolded and she was left to cook the dinner and made a right mess of it, she was very funny and relatable. Damien Dickens was brilliant as George, his mood, his rising level of aggression and his misunderstandings so very visual and well played out.

The cast was incredible, every member put in a polished performance, professional in every way. Interactions were snappy, actions fast moving with plenty of laugh out loud moments. The cast and crew did a brilliant job. Congratulations to Sara on your successful production.  A great night out. Thank you for inviting me.

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