Doctor in the House is a classic British stage comedy by Dr Richard Gordon based on his semi autobiography, autobiographical novels, film and TV series, which older patrons would remember.
It’s about the challenge of three medical school students creating a balance between study and socialising, exams and alcohol, while dealing with an eccentric professor, a controlling matron and all tied up with relationship dramas.
The play had a good plot, but the humour was a bit slow in the first Act. However, it picked up pace in the second Act.
The characteristically larger-than-life, slightly over-the-top theatricality of Clinton Nitschke’s performance as the naive Simon Sparrow certainly helped bring that character to life. He had good delivery and his facial expressions were excellent.
Ben Proeve, as Tony Grimsdyke, spoke a little too fast at times to be heard clearly, so we lost some of his humour. He broke the fourth wall at the beginning, throughout and at the end of the play, posing as narrator, leader and rebel, encouraging his fellow students and friends into and out of many marvellous pranks.
Vera, the French au pair, played by Rebecca Mason, and had very chic 70s costumes. She seemed to lose her French accent halfway through the first act, however her flirtatious performance made up for it.
The third med student, always caught in the middle, was gentle John Evans, ably portrayed by bearded Kyle McCarthy.
Barry Hill OAM, as Sir Lancelot Spratt, was totally the part with his little goatee. An outstanding performance, he was the epitome of a stuck-up, slightly eccentric, British surgeon.
Bromley, the sometimes inebriated hospital porter, was convincingly played by Mike Phillips. He was very good at sculling three bottles of beer one after the other, acting drunk and disorderly.
Several drunken bawdy songs lent verisimilitude.
Charlie Close, as Miss Winslow, otherwise Known as nurse Riggie, (short for rigor mortis!) was convincing dead pan, and hilarious in the “play within the play”.
The Matron, played by Kate Reardon, was excellent portrayal of the archetypal Matron. Emily Sharland played Janet, the strong, controlling woman who confidently took Simon in hand.
Brian Godfrey, who acknowledged that Barry Hill provided valuable support and mentorship for the performance, directed a clever, funny performance.
Zack Brittan’s lighting and sound operation was smooth – the music was appropriate and unobtrusive, including the theme to Doctor in the House. Beth Venning and team’s props were numerous and original. The set design and artwork by Damon Hill was excellent, as usual, with a huge construction team of 9 people.
The English 70s costumes, were very good, provided by Merici Thompson and the Monday Club and Barry Hill.
The audience reaction was muted on the performance I attended. At times they did not seem engaged, but the jokes and one liners in the second Act flowed much more smoothly, and there were more laughs.
As the show was sold out even before it opened, it was another successful Tea Tree Players production.
