Reviewed by Laraine Ball
November 2011
This marvellous play by Phillip King embraces all that is wonderful about the old English Comedy from the stock standard characters like the Vicar, the Spinster, the Maid etc to lots of doors and windows for the action to play out in.
Director Ian Rigney did a wonderful job with this production calling on all of his myriad experience to evoke a 1940’s atmosphere in the venue by hanging lots of war posters and having a sing along to begin with and also on the stage by getting the actors to act in a style similar to an old comic film. It is to Rigney’s credit that this strategy was very successful.
The cast worked extremely well together and made the play a great ensemble piece.
Shona Benson as Penelope Toop the Vicar’s wife was fabulous, Maxine Grubel as Ida the maid revelled in the comedy and stole a lot of laughs as did Elizabeth Slee as the spinster Miss Skillon who spent two thirds of the play drunk and locked in the cupboard.
John Koch as Lance Corporal Clive Winton was very energetic and showed good comic timing and expressions, Mason Willis as the Intruder was terrific and his deadpan German accent was very funny and much appreciated by the audience.
Tim Taylor did well as the Rev Lionel Toop and got lots of exercise running laps of the stage as did John Matsen as The Bishop of Lax who was excellent, not too stern and with a twinkle in his eye
Anthony Clapp as the Rev Arthur Humphrey was gorgeous in his confusion as to what was going on and Andrew Horwood played the oh-so-strict Sergeant Towers to a tee!
The set designed by Rigney and Robert Aust had a lovely feel to it just like a real typically English Vicarage and was well furnished to suit. Well done also to the numerous costume crew, all looked just right fancy having to find four dog collar suits to be on stage together!
This play brought back a lot of memories and really had the atmosphere of the old Village Hall.
