Reviews
Report by: Guy Carpenter on Thursday 8 November 2018
Venue: Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond
Director: Jim Brown
I hear a rumour that the Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society will be putting on a trio of one act Noël Coward plays for their next season (Incorrect (Ed.)). That they’ll be doing something by a very well respected playwright is good news, because Rumours, written by Neil Simon, is a lazy piece of theatre that fails to progress any narrative urgency during its farcical two acts, and relies solely on cheap jokes and toilet humour.
RADS, for their part, presented a good production of a bad play. The set was a lifelike rendition of Home Counties mock-Tudor pure naff, and all the actors did their best to bring the script to life, including the gem of a line: “Damnation and fu*kerina!” Was that in the original script..? (Yes (Ed.))
The play starts with a gunshot, and the humour is supposed to derive from the fact that each character tries to conceal that fact from each subsequent character introduced. They fail. The fact that this gunshot was actually an attempted suicide is brushed over rapidly, and if you are looking for any kind of resolution on this small detail you will be disappointed, though you might be left pondering the changing attitudes towards mental health, when the whole point of this play seems to be about saving face after having done the morbidly embarrassing thing of trying to blow one’s own head off.
It’s a farce. That much is understood. And the audience was laughing at what were likely the appropriate moments. However, a farce and situational comedy by somebody described in the programme as “America’s most enduringly commercial dramatist” (is that the most damning compliment ever paid?) should probably include more elegant and sophisticated wit than people in evening dress scrabbling around on the floor for somebody’s dropped earrings. Especially when it looked like they were all in fact trying to find the Hula Hoop that had been dropped earlier. (The Hula Hoop did not survive the evening.)
The good thing about bad art is that it is a trail that often leads onto more interesting things. In this case, it will be followed next season by RADS’ Noël Coward production.
Report by: Rhoda Fraser on Friday 9 November 2018
Venue: Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond
Director: Jim Brown
The rumour was, this was going to be a good show, it was wrong! This show was Brilliant. Neil Simon’s script just swept along, Jim Brown as Director must have ruled with a rod of iron. The cast were word perfect, I at times had to stop laughing and draw breath. The whole event was reminiscent of the famous Brian Rix farces which were on TV Years ago. Thank you Jim a great night’s entertainment brought together by hard work.
The Set looked like a comfortable home and worked well giving some height variation, thanks to Brian Rogers for set construction, lighting and sound.
The play was set in the home of Charley and Vivian Brooks who in fact we never see, Vivian and the servants have disappeared and Charley has shot himself but fortunately not fatally. First to arrive are Chris and Ken Bevans played by Suzy Brown and Mike Walker. They are confused with the situation and try to protect their friends from any potential scandal, Suzy tried to calm her nerves with a small drink, giving us a glorious interpretation through the play of the nervous half-drunk lady. Mike on the other hand was dashing up and downstairs making up new stories as more guests arrived, no cue missed, very well done.
Next to arrive are Claire and Len Cummings played by Nicola Bryan and Scott Fenney, having experienced a car accident in their new BMW on the way to the party they were not in the best frame of minds. Between argument and trying to put on a brave face they both gave us some fun dialogue and kept up the snappy banter between themselves. It is nice to see the return of Nicola after a time living away from Richmond and Scott seems to be settling into RADS life well, and becoming a valued member.
Cookie and Ernest Cusack arrive; Cookie is a famous Cookery writer (played by Jackie McLeod,) she is persuaded to cook the meal helped by Ernest, (played by Doug Clayton) both manage to have accidents in the kitchen and appear bandaged while doing their best with the meal, both giving even more confusion to the evening, great teamwork there.
Last of the guests to arrive are Cassie and Glen Cooper, played by Wendy and Lee Morris. They sparked and sparred with each other with great vigour, adding even more excitement to the evening.
Going about his duties and calling to take notes about the car accident is P.C. Conklin, the partygoers think he is there to find out about the gunshots. Someone must act as Charley Brooks as by now he is sleeping with a bandaged bleeding ear. Len is chosen and sent upstairs to change. Adding to the hilarity of the evening the others turn up the music and start dancing.
P.C. Conklin played by Martin Ash, gave a cool and patient performance, if somewhat confused by the whole interview. Even more so when Charlie is called and Len gives an exaggerated performance completely off the top of his head, finishing with the fact that Vivian was in the cellar. P.C. Conklin believes the story and leaves; the others troop upstairs to find out what really happened but are stopped by someone shouting from the cellar, it seems Vivian is really locked in the cellar!!
Well done all, for what must have been an exhausting night on stage you never flagged once.
Ken and Chris arrive for a party to find host Charley in his bedroom suffering from a bullet wound and the kitchen staff have disappeared! Len and Claire are next, themselves injured in a car crash. They are soon joined by the pragmatic Ernest and Cookie, followed by Glenn and Cassie, who have relationship problems.
Rumours abound regarding Charley and his wife Vivian. What happens when the Police arrive? Is there an explanation of the Rumours and Charley’s situation and who will concoct an explanation for what actually happened on the night?
RADS present the British version of this splendid farce by the writer of The Odd Couple, California Suite and The Sunshine Boys.
