Tea Tree Players have done it again.  I was crying so much during this production I thought I was going to flood the theatre.  This play cannot go wrong.  It is one of the all time best farces ever written.

 

Barry Hill as director has gathered a stellar cast who move around the small space exceptionally well. Nick Hargreaves was an outstanding Gilbert Bodley, although he would not be my choice (I prefer tall, dark and you get the picture), he definitely played the role for all it was worth, a cross between a used car salesman and an unapologetic lothario.  Hayley Mitchell as Janie McMichael was athletic to say the least trying to keep her assets covered and was the perfect foil.  Anita Glocke, Rebecca Kemp, Kyla Booth, Mike Phillips, Hannah O’Grady and Richard Hobson all played their roles well and Adrian Heness was exquiistly boorish as Harry McMichael.  Selena Britz as Maude Bodley could have been a little more aggressive given she would have been the brains behind the company (let’s face it, Gilbert could not tell a mink from a beaver) and as for poor Arnold…well.  Mark Bone was the perfect Arnold Crouch, extremely understated but this is how it should be.  The laughs come from the script, not from any overacting.  Facial expressions and body language said it all.  As always with Tea Tree Players, the set and lighting were amazing and the attention to detail was exact.  Costumes were also well thought out given the costume changes required, especially for poor Janie and Sue.  This play is well worth the trip out north.