Out of Order

There is nothing quite like an evening of hilarious onstage comedy, especially when two of the main stars of the production are a dead body and a large sash window with a mind all of its own which drops down with a terrific thud just when you’re not expecting it!

Joking apart, Stone Revellers were once more in fine form on Thursday evening for their latest production of ‘Out of Order’ by the ‘Master of Farce’, Ray Cooney, the fast moving tomfoolery and impeccable timing of a truly superb cast providing a tremendous helping of fun, frolics and double entendres that kept the packed audience in fits of laughter from start to finish.

At the time the play was first written and made its West End premiere at the Shaftsbury Theatre in 1990, Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and her Conservative Government were in power but hanging on by a thread with Labour in opposition. This latest Stone Revellers production was skilfully set in that very same period. It would be unfair to give too much of the plot away to spoil it for future theatre viewing but as a brief appetite whetter, the play revolves around Richard Willey, a government junior minister, whose plans to spend an adulterous evening with one of the opposition’s secretaries quicky spirals out of control and leaves him having to invent a whole series of bizarre excuses to weave his way out of trouble - of course, much to our delight and enjoyment.

As we took our seats at the new Crown Wharf Theatre in Stone, there was time to admire the magnificent open stage set which had been designed by Oliver Freer for this latest comedy epic. The elegant lounge, suite number 648, of the very posh Westminster Hotel in London had been created in luxurious detail. The main entrance door leading from the hotel’s sixth-floor corridor was on the upper left-hand side of the stage with separate doors to a storage cupboard and main bedroom on the right. A large sash window in the centre was initially concealed by full-length curtains which, when opened, provided a spectacular view across the river to the Houses of Parliament.

The set was smartly furnished with an attractively patterned rug, a gold-coloured chaise longue on the left and an armchair and small telephone table on the right. Even a trouser press had been included. There were several  gold-framed pictures on the walls and an illuminated portrait of Margaret Thatcher on the left-hand side with a small table and radio below. The walls themselves were attractively decorated with a light patterned wallpaper and cream lower panels with matching doors – all in perfect 1990’s vogue.

Following in the footsteps of the author himself, I think Stone Revellers have most certainly found another ‘Master of Farce’ in Matthew Frith who gave the most outstanding performance as the misbehaving minister, Richard Willey. In nearly 130 pages of script, I can’t remember him leaving the stage for more than a few seconds as he ducked and dived his way through a whole series of comedic situations in an ever increasingly tangled web of lies and deceit. Matthew’s facial expressions and mannerisms were a joy to watch and at one stage I think I even detected a brief touch of Basil Fawlty. Very well played sir!

As the attractive subject of Richard’s affections, Katie Boyle gave a fine performance as Jane Worthington, a little bit gullible but always conscious of the cross-party implications. Katie’s sparkling personality and demeanour were perfect for the role and her reactions to the ongoing chaos, especially with the surprise arrival of her husband, were brilliantly performed.

As what at first was assumed to be a dead body, completely lifeless and limp and hanging over the open sash window, you could have been forgiven for thinking that Stone Revellers had hired a Madame Tussaud’s waxwork for the evening, so incredibly realistic was Tamsin Brown’s ‘portrayal’! Even when clumsily picked up by Richard and hung on a hook in the cupboard, there was not even the slightest hint of life in her body or face as her arms flopped down. And even when she finally gained consciousness and was now in a state of comical confusion, Tamsin’s performance was still mysteriously believable.

In the role of George Pigden, Richard’s long suffering and somewhat dim-witted parliamentary secretary, George Duncan gave an exemplary performance. Initially completely bewildered by what was going on, his confidence visibly grew as the plot thickened and he became increasingly assertive as he was dragged into Richard’s scheming and the multitude of bizarre tasks assigned to rescue him.

Tim Clegg was every inch the high-class London Hotel Manager, upright, well-spoken and authoritative, but still amazingly naïve in his constant failure to understand the shenanigans that were going on behind his back which led to some of the most riotous moments in the piece.

Dawn Huxley gave another polished and comical performance as The Waitress, always courteous and polite whilst a touch devious, she was continually on the lookout for a gratuity and happy to seek out whatever was necessary to get one. I loved the way she meticulously held out her hand in the hope of getting a good tip!

As Jane’s husband Ronnie, Joe Jenkinson unexpectedly turned up in a complete rage desperately trying to find evidence of his wife’s unfaithfulness. In total contrast and later in the piece after calming down and showing a more mellow side to his character, even earning a touch of sympathy from the audience, he readily admitted that it was all his fault and that he had failed to make her happy.

In the wonderful cast of supporting characters, there was not one weak link in the comedic chaos as the play rattled on. Maddie Hall as Nurse Gladys, Ang Whitney as Pamela, Richard’s loyal and enthusiastic wife, and Nichola Abbott as the ever-helpful Italian maid who spoke very little English, all portrayed their roles with great skill and enthusiasm.

As you would expect, the new Crown Wharf Theatre is very well equipped with the very latest high quality sound system and high-tech LED stage lighting which were well designed and operated throughout the production by Phil Andrews (sound) and Nick Boulton, Mark Doran and Emma Wilson (lighting). Just like the set, the costumes, co-ordinated by Ang Whitney, were also all in perfect 1990’s vogue

But, as always, my final comments, and probably the most important, must go to Director, Mark Doran and Alexander Sparrow as Director of Physical Comedy – a new one on me – together with Producer, Tamsin Brown, for their talent and professionalism in staging this comedy classic to the height of theatrical excellence.

I should also mention Stage Manager, Jack Johnson, and a special shout out to the sash window ‘slammers’, Catherine Abrahams and Neil Norman who inconspicuously added so much fun to the piece!

Thank you for inviting me to your latest production and, as always, for your warm welcome. I look forward to making the relatively short trip down the road from home to see you all again in the near future.

Chris C Bell
Regional Representative
NODA West Midlands District 3

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