Reviewed by Laraine Ball
October 2010
Originally set in the 1950ís this comedy by Brian Clemens and Dennis Spooner is very funny and has a lot surprises for the audience.
Newlyweds Jeremy and Celia Winthrop arrive home early from their honeymoon during which strangely they have not slept together yet. Hoping for a quiet week they find their flat fully occupied by two couples the Wards and the Jessels both having illicit liaisons with each others spouses and each unaware that the other couple is in residence.
There is also a handyman attempting some dodgy plumbing in the cellar. Trying to keep everyone apart and in ignorance of the others Celia and Jeremy are caught up in chaos which escalates nicely.Director Damien White brought the setting of the play up to the present day which in the main worked very well. The pace was good and kept the audience interested.Amanda Taylor as Celia Winthrop was excellent and had good timing as did Damien Hooper as her husband Jeremy, who really needed a good grooming and very oddly wore the same costume throughout, not even changing to impress his boss at dinner.
Carina Gunn as Sara Ward was gorgeous as the hard to get, confused first time unfaithful wife. Nick Buckland was suave and charming as Humphrey Jessel a very urbane serial seducer. Joanna Webb played the confident controlling Thelma Jessel beautifully and Bryne Nickolls as Peregrine Ward got a lot of laughs for allowing himself to be henpecked by her.
Scott Brokenshire as Syd Clancy the handyman did quite well and somehow stayed completely dry and clean although the water was ‘gushing’. The box set realised by Clarke Staker was neat and functional, lots of doors for the many ins and outs, but it did look somewhat underdressed. Costumes also appeared to be a little haphazard and needed to be addressed in the context of the ëwhole lookí of the play and not just individually.
According to the programme this play was produced as a tribute to Sam Franks (d 1998) and he certainly would have enjoyed it.
