Unlike the darker humour revealed in several of Alan Ayckbourn's recent works this sparkling production of one of his earlier plays, skillfully directed by Orla O'Loughlin, delivers laughter all the way from the very first scene. From what is basically a simple plot - younger mistress seeking to terminate an affair with her older lover - it develops into a hilarious tale of misunderstanding.
Ellie Beaven (Ginny) competently captured the swinging 60s style, both in her costume and characterisation, as she misled her naive boyfriend Greg Hastie (Greg) into believing her Sunday morning trip was a visit to see her parents. Initially I felt he was trying too hard to win laughs, but once he turned up unexpectedly on Philip and Sheila's patio he relaxed and let the clever script do the work for him. Needing to keep his infidelity from his wife, but reluctant to be seen as Ginny's ex-lover, David Acton's (Philip) portrayal coped well with the manic situations with which he was presented, while Gillian Bevan gave a superbly under-played performance as Philip's bemused wife Sheila, calmly dealing with the unexpected arrivals for Sunday lunch, not to mention the questions of the unidentified pair of slippers!
This delightful production runs until Saturday, March 26. To book call 01635 46044.
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