How The Other Half Loves

 

Tyldesley Little Theatre end their season with a cacophony of laughter as they put on Alan Ayckbourn’s play, How The Other Half Loves. This farce serves up an opportunity to get your teeth into some great characters. We see the lives of three couples disintegrate with affairs, false accusations and busy-bodying.

Set is a living room and dining room that reflects two houses at the same time with different entrances and different windows. Set Design -Eddie Stanley and Construction-, Eddie Stanley, Michael Stanley and Ian Hunter. Lighting and Sound all added to this - Lighting by Pete Gower and Sound by Paul Whur. There was a big scene change to get ready for the evening meal and that was handled well  - Stage Manager was Sadie Hobson.  Costumes all looked in keeping and that was down to Margaret Speakes.

The Director was Hannah Boardman and there were some lovely touches in the play. It moved on a pace and characters were well defined. I particularly liked how the characters said one thing with their mouths but another with their faces. The Featherstone’s moment on the settee in the Foster home was hilarious and the up and down and bouncing over on the settee to make way for Frank was just hilarious – excellent!

Fiona Foster played by Karen Ward opens up the play and cannot wait to get to the phone to make that all important phone call after her ‘late night out.’ Lovely moments of her patience wearing thin with husband Frank. Her character gets herself in a right pickle with her lie and it soon proves too much. Fiona dealt well with serving all the food and trying to keep her husband under control.

Frank Foster was played by Ian Hunter as the boss who wants to fix things but actually would be best if he just left things alone. I loved his ramblings and it was almost like he had dialogue with himself - very funny! I had an image he was probably talking to himself in the wings. He was definitely in his own lane. Did anything work when he had touched it? Oddly I felt you were on his side willing him to get it right.

Teresa Phillips played by Alexis Hollis as the long-suffering wife with a baby we never see but is forever into mischief. With husband behaving suspiciously and crank phone calls her day just goes from bad to worse. Some lovely funny moments and the build up to the soup spillage was great.

Bob Phillips played by Cameron Rowe as the man who with Fiona is the catalyst for this mayhem. You should hate him, Bob is a victim too in all this and it all just runs away with him. Cameron’s character was funny and filled with juxtapositions of the highest order. So what does he do ? . . .run away from the dinner party. The entrance late into the dinner party drunk was very funny and the scene where he tries to come onto Mary was also hilarious.

William Featherstone played by Danny Tooby and Mary Featherstone played by Alex Haymes was a match made in heaven. Their timing was impeccable and they fed off each other so well. Danny Tooby did have a bit of Frank Spencer about him in a good way. Every scene they were in, something new was added. Their facial expressions were excellent along with mannerisms. A full-on lesson in total characterization was seen here. The scene where William wanted to go to the toilet but dare not ask Frank- the shear panic in his face! When Mary arrives and tries to clean the house and finally asserts herself- well done to you both!

As I stood up at the end a gentleman said to me “How wonderful to be back watching live theatre” He was beaming. Thank you so much for a delightful evening you probably heard me laughing.

Well done, Cast, Crew and Committee and thank you for the invite and hospitality from my guest Michael and I.

Liz Hume-Dawson

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