I'll Get My Man

In 1944, playwright Philip King wrote See How They Run, a farce heavily reliant on tense comic situations, mistaken identity, doors and vicars. Twenty years later, he visited similar territory with I’ll Get My Man, where a TV star escapes from his amorous female fans to his uncle’s country vicarage – only to find himself in the middle of a match-making mix-up.

Farces written in the 1960s can be very much of their time and this script does have some dated elements. However, it still contains plenty of funny action and lines, so with good direction and acting a great show is very possible, and that’s what the audience were treated to today.

The action centred around the good-natured and slightly befuddled country vicar, the Reverend Arthur Humphrey, brought to life with incredible skill by Andy Masters. Although, the character was mild-mannered and placid, Andy managed to portray the vicar with a playful twinkle and a wonderful skip in his step. He delivered his lines with perfectly pitched pace which kept the action zipping along whilst still being true to his gentle persona. In the grand traditions of comedy clergymen, Andy could easily hold his own alongside the likes of actors like Derek Nimmo and Frank Williams.

Also, giving a consummate performance was Suzie Stevens as Mrs Carter, the assertive and sharp-speaking vicarage housekeeper. She strutted around the stage oozing confidence and brought a superb energy to the character. Her flirtatious, girly, ‘weak-at-the-knees’ interactions with ‘Venture Man’ were very funny and a great contrast to the other side of her character which was stronger and more poised. I was very impressed with her ‘faints’ and she should be commended for staying totally limp when being dragged offstage! (‘Where do you want this? In the kitchen?’)

Jacqueline Dowse played the vicar’s prissy and bullying sister, Harriette, and brought a real frostiness to the character. Her facial expressions were lovely to watch, skilfully moving from cold disdain to indignant disbelief in the blink of an eye. Perhaps a little more ‘punch’ would have accentuated the true formidable nature of the character, and I would have like to have heard more power in the voice and sharpness in the line delivery. However, Jacqueline stole the scene in which she staggered down the stairs drunk – good ‘drunk’ acting is tricky, and Jacqueline was good.  

Peter Graham, aka ‘Venture Man’, was portrayed by Paul Dexter whose comic timing and stage presence ensured a memorable performance. He was, in my opinion, a little too mature for the role, but I do understand the challenges societies sometimes have when trying to find younger male actors. Having said that, Paul managed to inject the role with a youthful zest which the character needed. One of the highlights of the play for me was Paul’s characterisation of the Reverend Percival Wintergreen – it was very funny and silly, and demonstrated the actor’s versatility as he moved seamlessly from one accent to the other.

Towards the end of the play, the audience were introduced to the Bishop of Lax played with bluster and increasing bemusement by Tony Hine. He had excellent diction and projection and portrayed the increasing bemusement well as the unfolding events revealed a vicarage full of eccentric disguised or distressed people, the press constantly on the phone and a newspaper photographer (Gary Cadwallader) at the door.

The ensemble cast was completed by three talented female actors. Rachel Armitage was clearly having a ball as saucy, merry widow, Winifred Barrington-Locke, gleefully delivering lines like ‘sex-starved walrus calling its mate’ in a polished, cut-glass accent. There was also plenty to smile about in the performance of Verity Connor as Pixie Potter. Although, her stage time was fleeting, she certainly left an impression with her amazing rendition of her ‘hit record’ – another highlight for me. Last, but absolutely not least, was the hilarious Lucy Kelley as Josephine de Brissac, an aggressively passionate poet looking for reincarnated love (‘Let the mists of time roll by’). Without great comic timing and energy, this character may not have landed because it is quite far-fetched, however Lucy’s performance hit the mark and was a real delight.

Directors, Lesley Sparrow and Dawn Cadwallader, should be congratulated for helping to bring out the best in their cast and for ensuring a consistent, slick pace and for maintaining a good level of energy (it did lose it towards the end, but I believe this was because the script ran out of steam, not because of the acting).

There was some lovely attention to detail with the set dressing and the props. The telephone was of the period, the vacuum cleaner was perfect, the ‘rock’ fairy cakes were very funny, and the production team must have been collecting empty used envelopes for months! The set as a whole was solid and well-constructed but needed a fraction more finesse. I understand there were some challenges around the set build, however it did look a little unfinished in places and the wide expanse of lining paper wasn’t ideal. Also, decorated flats behind doorways instead of black curtain can give a set more depth.

The costumes worked well and helped bring the characters to life, although some looked a bit too ‘modern’. I would have liked to see a more of a sixties feel to some of the outfits, but I understand budgets can sometimes be restrictive. Verity Connor perhaps had the best costume for the era, her make-up looked fabulous. I liked Harriette Humphrey’s costume changes over the course of the three days action. Paul Dexter may have benefitted from a better-quality wig.

Well done to stage managers, Gus Sparrow and Gary Cadwallader, for ensuring the show ran without any hitches, and congratulations to the Guildhall technical team for providing good lighting and sound. The lighting in particular was strong; the actors’ faces were lit beautifully as was the full stage. The sound effects were effective and cued sharply. The programme design was excellent and the FOH team were friendly and welcoming.  

In conclusion, a fun-filled afternoon with some top-notch performances and tight direction. The script is a little dated, but St. Peter’s Hill Players managed to introduce a real vibrancy and freshness into what, in my opinion, is a pretty routine farce. Massive congratulations to Lesley, Dawn and the whole team – I am very much looking forward to your next production. Thank you for continuing to bring quality theatre to the county.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.