Rumors

After the deputy mayor of New York City is found with a superficial bullet wound and his wife disappears, four couples, invited to his home for the hosts’ anniversary, try to hide what they think is a scandal from each other, until everyone is caught up in a web of rumour and misunderstanding. Perfect circumstances for a farce and Neil Simon’s erudite turn of phrase is evident in some fabulous lines and moments.

The set, as always with Midlife Crisis shows, is cleverly adorned with era specific furnishings and having the staircase set centrally worked well to complement the action and sightlines and gave a sense of symmetry and balance which nicely contrasted with the frantic nature of the play.

A cast of 10 took on the challenge of this farce, which was unique in the fact that none of the characters were in the know or knew what it was they were trying to cover up amidst injuries, temporary deafness, far flung phone calls, gunshots, culinary disasters and police visits.

Husband and wife Chris and Ken, played convincingly by Katherine Thomas and Peter Kaye, were the first on the scene and the driving force of the play as they held the most knowledge. Both handled the challenge well. Katherine has a lovely energy on stage and is a very naturalistic actor and this engages us audience members from the get-go. Peter’s Ken was fun, and the physical comedy was a treat.

The next couple we meet are Lenny and Claire portrayed by Rob Levy and Gill Cooper. These two actors shone brightly in this piece. A firm grasp on comedy and pace and a solid delivery meant the audience didn’t miss a word or gag or look. They both had us giggling and guffawing throughout. Rob’s massive speech was a particular highlight. Well done!

Another fun coupling, and probably the most eccentric, came in the shape of benevolent psychologist Ernie and kooky Cookie played by Russel Weisberg and Barbra Cousins. They made a great diverting addition, both so beautifully self-involved that they hardly noticed anything out of the ordinary and when they did, had a light-hearted reaction to it and a can-do attitude. Both Russel and Barbra were artful in displaying this and adding a new fun facet to the farce. Congratulations.

The last couple of guests to enter the fray, were Debra Loofe as Cassie and Phil Geller as Glenn, a couple in a strained relationship who were constantly arguing. Debra’s characterisation and comedy is always top notch and the same can be said here. The facial expressions are always appreciated. Phil played the smarmy politician well and held his own in the bickering sections.

Sarah Adams and Stuart Ailion gave us the police presence at the end of the play and executed the no nonsense characters with aplomb, building tension and pacing the comedy well.  

I expect Fran Horwich as director must have had so much fun with this piece and this lovely bunch of players. Figuring out the ins and outs of farce is no mean feat and Fran’s working of the blocking and casting along with the timing and characterisation choices were well considered and accomplished.

A farcically fun evening. Well done!

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