Key for Two

This was a completely new play to me and I congratulate the Players on finding yet another gem.  Director Yvonne Baker got every nuance and comedy line from the extremely well written script. The scenery was excellent being a fixed set with split level depicting a large bedroom with a double bed and a lounge living area with very appropriate set dressing and cleverly arranged doors into unseen second bedroom, bathrooms, kitchen and front door. FADS is renowned for its lovely staging and this was amongst its best and their costumes were ideal for the 1970’s

Val Daly gave a well defined portrayal of the ‘merry divorcee’, Harriett, who was very busy manipulating two gentlemen who not only paid her rent for her, they also supported her and her fictional mother. Mother was her excuse whenever the two ardent lovers were in danger of descending on her at the same time. She was the supposed culprit for the Vodka going down so quickly. John Dorking played Gordon, lover number one, who kept her supplied with eggs from his poultry farm, but got very tired of eating fish of which she had plenty as Dave Holden, as Alec, lover number two, was a fisherman and always arrived with an abundance of haddock or similar.  All her plans went array when Gordon slipped up on some of Alec’s fish and broke his leg and demanded to retire to bed and refused to leave. Both John and Dave gave excellent performances lifting the production to another level of hilarity when Dave arrived unexpectedly.  To complicate matters further another unexpected arrival in the shape of Sam Merrick, as Ann, an old family friend, arrived having left her husband, and requires somewhere to stay for some days. She is delighted with the situation and ‘sets her cap’ at both the men and joins in the fun of pretending the house is a nursing home. (Part of the subterfuge to explain the ‘goings on’ in the establishment.) She appeared as nurse, cook and others changing her costume at every entrance and took every opportunity to jump into bed with Gordon. Add to this chaos the arrival of Magda, Gordon’s wife (Lyndsey Kite), Mildred, Alec’s wife (Elizabeth Toon) and Ann’s husband Richard (John Lamude). These ladies had a little less to do since they were not on stage very long and yet the characters were also strong and cleverly matched to that of their husbands and Richard, who arrived very drunk reduced the audience to fits of laughter with his brilliant acting. His facial expressions and wobbling legs were a joy to watch.

  By some very clever writing the story ends happily with our ‘merry divorcee’ still open for business with her two devoted men friends. Another good farce from Ferring. Well done.