We were instantly thrown into the world of theatre before the show itself even started, where the clever mock-up ‘backstage’ set stood proud, ‘letting us in’ on the theatre secret; wooden boards, past-show posters, large spotlights and all. The Directors – Emily Ellis and Morgan Allen – clearly had a vision, and they certainly pulled it off. Comedy, confusion, complexity, and deceit were all transferred from page to stage in a coherent and entertaining manner thanks to Emily and Morgan.
We all know an over-the-top, self-centred actor, and Megan Lawrie hit this particular nail on the head with her portrayal of leading man, Garry Essendine. She was dramatic, she was sassy, she was moody, and goodness knows how she kept that energy up. Her comedic interruptions were spot on, and she perfectly punched every plosive in classic stuck-up Essendine style.
Melis Ensert gifted us with blunt, straight-to-the-point authoritative wit as ex-wife Liz, and Kiera Robinson embodied fed-up mother-figure secretary Monica in a cool and collected way, and her hug with Garry warmed my heart. I must say that both Melis and Kiera looked comfortable on stage, and I trusted them both as performers.
Nick Skordellis absolutely commanded the stage as Joe Lyppiatt, with a smile that could charm all nations. He was suave and laid-back, but contrasted this with scary flashes of anger; his versatility a sign of a great actor. Nick’s tension with Megan was a super closer of Act 1, leaving us wondering what was to be made of the adulterous pair.
Sam Duffy’s Morris Dixon (secret lover of Joe Lyppiatt) brought some more tender moments amongst the chaos – Sam used his silences perfectly, and I was intrigued by every word, but he also played into even more comedy with his own hilarious and elongated gaspy laughs … another truly versatile actor. On the ‘versatile’ note, Charlotte Klafkowska was amazing in varying her energy levels, where her character – Helen Lyppiatt – went on a journey from believable conversational dialogue to moments of rage towards the closer of the show, giving us different versions of Helen, all of which I enjoyed.
A significant amount of my laughs came from Alex Tsherit’s Roland Maule. His dramatic back-lit entrance and crazed idolisation of Garry was hilarious, and I could not wipe off my childish grin every time he was on stage. Alex’s energy, too, was next-to-none, and his superb biscuit-eating, coat-rack hiding, frankly captivating performance had the audience applauding his first scene … that speaks for itself.
Maile-Ana Crompton gave us such a refreshing performance as innocent young Daphne Stillington, whose floaty voice and enthusiastic qualities shone through, similarly to the hilarious and crazy spirit-seeking Miss Erikson, played by the wonderful Alesia Lakhno. These particular performers, along with Ciara Harrison and her brief but character-filled appearance as Lady Saltburn, prove that there are no such thing as ‘small parts’: the actors made these roles as integral to the plot as any other.
Such fun came from Charlie Hodges, who is such a natural actor, and his performance as Fred (the butler) was charming, nuanced, and effortlessly funny. The times he was on stage were delightful, and his musical whistling, convincing accent, and ‘righty-o’s were just spot on.
The actors wouldn’t have looked so admiringly dapper without the power-duo costume work of Anna Wildgust and James Stark, who clearly put all of their efforts into getting each character looking perfect, not to mention appropriate for the time period. The same goes for the highly detailed and very impressive props, sourced and provided by Jessica Scott and Samantha Parker, whose clever minds visually aided the chaotic story as to what we physically saw on stage.
Their work was supported by the all-important Assistant Producers, Vivek Kanani, Emma Nelson, Mason Bridgeman-Wilson, Andra Avadanei, and Libby Doverman.
More incredible behind-the-scenes work in which the show would be nothing without is accredited to the wonderful Beth and Ben (Technical Directors), Bernard Ng (Lighting Director), James Alcock (Sound Designer), Dan Money and Martin Perreau (Heads of Stage), and, of course, the liaisons Emma Froud and Luke McCrone.
A 5-star show by a 5-star company; a play that I would watch on repeat. The cast, crew, and production team put on a piece of theatre that they should all be proud of.
