Reviewed by Stephanie Johnson
August 2011
Tea Tree Players has taken a typical British farce and imbued it with life, laughter and limber feats.
The play, Out of Order is the usual farce fare written by prolific playwright Ray Cooney. The danger with staging a Cooney play is that of “seen one seen them all”.
Director Damon Hill has garnered a fine cast who in his own words showed great “willingness to do what was asked”. Physical antics abound and the cast and audience relish this fresh and slightly naughty adults-only production. Hill has also outdone himself with the set, a high quality executive Westminster Hotel apartment suite. No doubt on a tight budget this set actually looks like the toffy side of England.
Steve Weyland is right at home as the Parliamentary member who is more concerned with his personal affairs than the affairs of the country. Nick Hargreaves is a suitably funny sidekick as his PPS (personal parliamentary secretary) and Tallora DiGirolami is very credible as the straying wife and mistress.
Don Stuart, obviously a Players favourite, is excellent as the fumbling, bumbling waiter and Barry Hill is equalling compelling as the stiff upper lip hotel manager. Theresa (Lilly) Dolman and Tini Cini add interest and spice in the second act, and Lewis Baker is fun as Ronnie Worthington. Karin Marks makes the most of her role as the maid.
A fine cast aside, what lifts this play from the ordinary to the extraordinary are the antics of Sam Evans as the “body”. Director Hill and Evans have combined forces to eke endless laughs from this character’s rubbery lifeless limbs. When an audience gasps and laughs at the same time (for all of the right reasons) the Players must know that they are onto a winner.
