Bedroom Farce by Alan Ayckbourn

They’re calling it the Curse of the 2010 - Playlovers’ Directors. The director of the first show fell ill and needed to be replaced, the director of this, the second show, left the company and a second director was appointed. The third show could not be cast and the director needed to find another, and the fourth director is ill. As Director #5, this is not a trend I like.
Replacement director Claudette Ridout has done an admirable job in pulling the show together. The show attracted some of the biggest audiences for a Playlovers play in some time and was well received.
The set, which managed to cram three full bedrooms onto the narrow Hackett Hall stage, was well dressed by Robert Vincent, David Young and Terry McCauley and John Woolrych’s lighting design gave life to three distinct spaces.
While the pace lacked a little punch and the show played as light drama rather than farce, I enjoyed the performances. There were no obvious weak links and I particularly enjoyed the partnerships of veterans Kerry Goode and Gordon Bennet and the youngest couple, relative newcomer Matt Lawrence with Molly Kerr. Helen Maddocks and Simon Kelly handled being the lynchpins for action, while Brendan Kerkvliet and Emma Cottrell provided good support.
Surprisingly, for a company best known for newer works, this crowd pleaser was a definite boost to their coffers, and they will follow with a newer Ayckbourn in 2011.
Kimberley Shaw

Image: Emma Cottrell, Matt Lawrence and Helen Maddocks