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A Presentation by Theatre Sarnia |
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Directed by Jean Simon |
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No Sex Please, We're British: Theatre Sarnia by Brian Hay The first thing that was striking about this production was the set. Even before the house lights went down it stood out as an excellent piece of work. The design Bill Allingham conceived came across as what it was supposed to be; the central room of an attractive and reasonably comfortable apartment. The layout combined an open look with a bevy of doors and crannies to allow the action to erupt from an array of sources. It simplified the transitions for the cast and crew immensely. The play itself, by Anthony Marriott and Alistair Foot, is an uproarious farce that never tries to be anything other than what it is. The only message it carries is that the proverbial "stiff upper lip" and conservative bearing the British projected at the time was a facade. Beyond that it's written to be entertaining. The dialogue is filled with innuendo and the sight gags seldom let up. What makes it work is that sillier the story becomes the funnier it gets. If it's presented well this play is a howler. The cast and crew of Theatre Sarnia did exactly that. Shaun Hood was in good form as the flabbergasted husband suddenly "caught in the middle". Erika Downie gave a good portrayal as his equally flustered wife. She also did a nice job of showing an undercurrent of ribald intrigue beneath her prim facade. Georgina Ford lit up the stage as the Mother of the beleaguered husband. The hidden sexual tension her character projected filled the air whenever she appeared. Dan White made an excellent foil for her pent up energy by playing his role completely straight. The supporting players were also strong. Caleb MacKinnon had one of the funniest scenes in the play and he ran with it. Andrea Hughes and Kayla Ramboer were pivotal in several scenes that were show stoppers. Ron Pask excelled as the unsuspecting individual who happens into the situation. His handling of the physical aspects of the sight gags was stellar. Joe Agocs delivered a hilarious "voice over" as the TV announcer. The "reaction" of the players hearing it made the moment all the more memorable. Andrew Hiltz was a standout in the role of "Brian Runnicles". The character has a lot of time on the stage and is the focal point of much of the action. His delivery of his lines was good and many of the gestures he used for the sight gags were outrageously funny. His timing throughout was really, really good. And he knew when to understate or overstate his character's actions. He was definitely a lot of fun to watch. The technical aspects of the show were just as strong. The wardrobe created by the team of Lynda Agocs, Ashley Carlisle, Hendrika Kammerman and Gayle Fortney was convincing. It made the characters look like real people rather than cardboard cutups. Given the absurdity of the material that was a good touch. The lighting by Vincent Quinn and Brian Austin Jr. made use of very subtle shifts in order to accentuate the mood of the setting. That was particularly effective during the second act. The sound effects set up by Fred Hadley served the material well. Stage Manager Vincent Quinn made good use of the set. Its facets were used often and well and the transitions in the action were seamless. The Director, Jean Simon, kept the story moving at just the right pace. It would have been easy to let this material move too quickly. Her sense of restraint kept that from happening. This was a good job by everyone involved. "No Sex Please, We're British" runs at The Imperial Theatre on October 16 through October 18 and again on October 21 through to the October 24, 2009. This review pertains to the show that ran on October 17, 2009. This line acts as a spacer. |
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