There were a few differences between the two performances: WYP's had Denis Black on hilarious form, while the Grand's big name was Maxwell Caulfield, who I'm reliably informed is the lead in Grease 2, as well as being in Emmerdale - in fact most of the cast had been in the Yorkshire soap, although I only recognised one of them. I preferred the actor who played Caulfield's part in the WYP production, but overall there wasn't much to tell between the 8-strong cast.
Bedroom Farce is like Camp in that it does what it says on the tin, namely it's a farce set in 3 bedrooms, all of which are on stage at once with the action taking place in each. All 3 bedrooms house 1 couple, while another couple moves between the 3, and really, there's not a great deal of plot. Bedroom Farce deals with the relationships between the characters - there's an older couple (the funniest in my opinion, particularly the actor playing the husband) who are seen getting ready for dinner, and coming back from it later in the evening; a newly married younger couple in their first home who are holding a house-warming; a bed-bound man (Caulfield here) and his wife; and an argumentative couple who visit the house-warming, then she visits her inlaws (the older couple) and he visits his ex (the wife of the bed-bound man). There is lashings of laughter to be had from the misunderstandings, physical comedy and keenly-observed relationship humour. Much of the comedy comes from Aykbourn's witty script, while the actors bring their own flourishs to reactions and the physical stuff. I don't think that there is any great message behind the drama, which is not to say that the play is lightweight. It deals with issues of marriage and love and sex with genuine warmth, while providing a hilarious night of entertainment. I'll gladly go see this again.
No comments:
Post a Comment