The sole purpose of a farce with its attendant improbabilities of both plot and characters is simply to make an audience laugh. The Tea Tree Players’ production of “Nobody’s Perfect” under the expert direction of farce “veteran” Theresa “Lilly” Dolman does just that. The first night audience, generous in size, was also generous with its laughter at the situation and the antics of the four characters on stage. It pleases this reviewer to be reminded that this theatrical genre is not only alive but is very well indeed.
On the one hand we have the Loftus family comprising father Leonard (Gavin Cianci), a divorced single parent, statistician and would be author, his school age teen daughter Dee Dee (Charlie Klose), and Leonard’s father Gus (Rick Mills). The principal of the feminist publishing company “Love is All Around”, Harriet Copeland (Hayley Mitchell) completes the foursome in this delightful piece of absurdity. Leonard is having a difficult time in getting the manuscript of his romantic novel accepted for publication. In desperation he enters a women writing for women competition promoted by Harriet’s company. He wins! There are several well juggled conflicting and confusing phone conversations back and forth between Harriet and the Loftus household and so the farcical deception begins.
Whilst daughter Dee Dee is very busy at being a teenager she has a sound relationship with both her father and live in grandfather. It is ultimately Dee Dee who aids and abets the final reveal. Klose takes full advantage of her first senior role for company TTP. Much will be learned about the art of stagecraft and, I’m sure, steps taken forward for them to be considered for bigger, more responsible roles in the future. Klose impressed me with stage presence, diction and interaction within their stage family.
Mills as father and grandfather Gus inhabits the role with nicely balanced relish and restraint. Whilst not quite in the reprobate class, although he has been temporarily expelled from his retirement village for demeanours only hinted at but well imagined, he quickly cottons onto son Leonard’s “game”. He, like Dee Dee happily plays along but only after using his own needs as bargaining chips. Mills gives us a well considered and controlled performance that tickles the audience’s fancy from his first entrance.
Just as the experience of Director Dolman shines throughout so does the performance of Mitchell as romantic novel publisher Harriet. Her approach to her audience is clear, direct, confident and purposeful. Mitchell’s knowledge of this genre and her attention to stagecraft are palpable. As Leonard Loftus, parent, carer and would be romantic novelist Cianci’s performance is excellent. His lack of self belief and introspection in the first act contrasts nicely with the almost brash confidence he affords his alter ego Myrtle in act (2). His “tweed like” Aunt Myrtle is a splendid creation for interaction with both publisher Harriet and his family. Whilst there is much merry confusion “When your eyes met mine, yours, his!”, we know that things will ultimately add up for statistician Leonard. Cianci’s well constructed characterisation is a vehicle for infectious fun.
As usual the staging of a production such as “Nobody’s Perfect” is very much the product of team Tea Tree. Set design (Lilly Dolman), costuming (Jo Allenby and the Monday Club), sound and lights design (Mike Phillips) and back of stage management (Kristyn Barnes) et al contribute irrevocably to the finished product. And the product is slick, well performed and highly entertaining. Whilst the script is a little dated it is well written and surprisingly few of the one liners missed their mark. It’s good to see that farce remains a force in generating good humour. The first night audience certainly approved.
