The Opposite Sex

This company produces plays of a very high quality because attention is paid to detail. The music chosen for the opening asked “Why do you always do the opposite of what I always do?” and heralded the comedy about marital relations that followed. The action was set in a very realistic living room decorated in creams and reds. There was even matching nets and velvet curtains at the windows. There is very little space behind the set or at the sides of the stage, but the cast utilised the exits, entrances and a serving hatch, for maximum effect. Garry Hutchings, Mandy Hartley, Liz Head-Rapson and Dennis Martin were all superb. Each had great body language, diction, facial expressions and timing, that all important factor in a comedy. Excellent characterisation is the essence of this play. These four actors lived their characters, so much so, that we could empathise with them. There was much laughter as Vicky asks Mark, when he arrives home late having entertained a female client, “Are you ready for your dinner?” as she promptly throws the meal at him. As the action develops we realise that the relationship between these couple is quite complex as each one has committed adultery. The humour lies in the way they try to cover their infidelity and the gradual realisation of their situation. The audience laughed and laughed and there as well-deserved rapturous applause at the finish.

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