There goes the bride

What an excellent idea to open the new season with a Ray Cooney farce: a good support audience and lots of laughs really set the seal on a good night out and take away the blues.

Certainly this play could have been written for this company with the characters all perfect in the casting, the pace so good that one could not believe this was a first night, and the atmosphere and rapport across the footlights just magical. A very tight production with no weak links.

The excellent set made for the mood, very professional.

As ‘mother of bride’ Ursula, Maris McCann had quite a job to manage the various situations and possible disasters with her fellows on the morning of the wedding of daughter Judy (Lizzi Taylor), masterminding hysterics and clothing and mood problems and work problems of husband to finally get the family to the church in spite of everything.

Grandparents the Drimmonds were excellent character studies from a superior and domineering Daphne (Jennie Reavey), and a perfect comedy style by Richard Crawley as retired doctor and how we laughed at his antics and lines. (and I understand he won the play writing at Hunstanton Drama Festival, so many talents). Loved the ‘socks’ episode and the failure with flowers delivery.

As friend and long time family support Bill Shorter, Chris Morter held a strong line and helped to keep the family upright after the disaster ‘knock-out’ and change of moods. A much smaller role from Jon Moule who appeared near the end as Australian Charles Babcock, the frustrated and puzzled father of the groom (kept accent well).

A glamourous and delightful looking 20s flapper looking and performing with zest and movement as the ‘dream’ Polly Perkins, Beth Robertson had the lightness of touch and looks of a principal boy.

And the lynchpin of this comedy, and could not have done except he is in the company, Tom Key as Timothy Westerby was more than the perfect casting: his energy and timing, his pace of words and actions, his reactions with all fellow cast members, his great dance movements in the ‘fred and ginger’ sequences with the imaginary Polly after the door knockout changed everything, the earlier comedy theme with work and marketing, all added to an outstanding performance and lifted this production into another level, and the return to his original character for the wedding, great!

The company so delighted to be back on stage after the lockdown, and how it showed in their enthusiasm.

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