It is an unwritten rule in theatre that if a play has more than six doors then it is a farce. Paul Slade Smith’s “Unnecessary Farce” has eight! It is definitely a farce and a very funny one at that. The script itself is a little slow in setting the plot, a little wordier than farces usually are in some places, quite formulaic and a little predictive. But is still a good laugh, with very zany farcical characters: two law enforcement officers not quite of the Elliot Ness mould, an accountant who keeps losing her clothes (of course!), the local bewildered Mayor, his mousey wife, a Security person who may not be as tough as he seems, and, the piece de resistance, a Scottish hitman who plays the bagpipes for his victims before he kills them and has an indecipherable accent when he gets angry. There is also the obligatory door and head banging occurring through out.
Tea Tree Players’ production is extremely funny and hectic due mainly to Director Damon Hill’s expert knowledge and handling of farcical comedy. He knows what not only tickles but fractures the audiences funny bones. His cast (Kyle McCarthy, Amber Wilkshire, Rose Harvey, Tim Cousins, Njal Venning, Russell Byrne and Debbie Kulikovsky) obviously trust his judgement and handle the situations, jokes and complicated cross-connecting dialogue well (the play is set in adjoining hotel rooms with actions and dialogue often reflecting that of the other room). Hill’s set design is very workable and perhaps the strongest built community theatre set for a farce that I have ever seen – no wobbly walls here when doors bang.
McCarthy plays Law Enforcement Officer Sheridan with ease and a grounded naivety and likability that has us convinced that he will win the day – we’re just not sure how. His stint at trying to impersonate a Scotsman is hilarious and more in the realm of outlandish than Outlander.
Wilkshire plays first day on the job Officer Dwyer with a delightful clumsiness that was so good that I must confess that I wasn’t quite sure at times if, as the actor, she may have been a little nervous. Harvey played the clothes losing accountant well and shows she has a good handle on comedy. Another very adept at comedy, especially when it comes to delivering lines in a deadpan manner, is Venning as Agent Frank.
Cousins and Kulikovsky as Mayor and Mrs Meekly play their namesakes to a tee. But it is Byrne as the mad bagpipe playing Scotsman, Todd, who steals the show. Hoots Mon, he is outlandishly hilarious – Billy Connelly would be proud! His heed bangin’ is so real, I dinna know how he does it!
This is one of those shows that just abounds with love and fun both for the actors and, most importantly, for the audience. The Players have pulled it off yet again and this “Unnecessary Farce” is well and truly necessary in keeping our spirits up and entertaining us.
