British playwright Alan Ayckbourn is nothing, if not prolific. He has written 59 scripts to date. Often dubbed the "British Neil Simon," his plays share the virtues and weaknesses of Mr. Simon. Mr. Ayckbourn's plays are fast taking root in the repertory of America's little theatres, as those companies seem to have run out of Simon plays to re-produced. Pity, too, as Mr. Ayckbourn, while sometimes offering great lines and the occasional moment of farce, doesn't quite capture the American funny bone as readily as Mr. Simon. The plays tend to be longish, filled with British sensibilities and British stereotypes, and forsake deeper comedy for the clever quip. This much can be seen over and over again in the myriad of Ayckbourn plays presented by various theatres in the valley over the past three seasons. With 59 scripts to choose from, though, we'll keep getting more two-and-a-half hour fair-to-middling productions for many years to come.
Tempe Little Theatre whips us to London for Bedroom Farce, a 1975 trifle that presents eight interlocked marriages in various states of decay as they collide on one night. Malcolm and Kate are having a housewarming. Friends Trevor and Susannah are having a squabble. Trevor's old flame Jan and her new hubby Nick are dealing with his back problems, and Trevor's fuddy-duddy parents Ernest and Delia are celebrating their umpeenth wedding anniversary in the way you'd expect fuddy-duddy's to celebrate. After disrupting the party and rekindling a former romance, Trevor proceeds to keep everyone awake through the evening with his hectic and chaotic ways.
Director Thomas Laveen tries to keep this show from plodding with rapid-fire delivery, eye-catching blocking, and a consistent cast. The faults of this production are not those of director or ensemble. They do what they can with not-very-engaging material. Especially helpful to keeping the evening moving is Jason Walters' over-the-top performance as the manic Trevor. He's a bundle of energy that propels the play forward. Thankfully funny in their roles are Jennifer Jane Tellez as American loony Susannah, and Emily Mulligan-Ferry as sweet-hearted Jan. They, too, possess enough energy to keep the audience's attention through the textually uninteresting sections. Solid in their roles are Dawn Drew as quirky mother Delia, Rachel McKinney as stable Kate, and Billy Bolander as new American hubby Malcolm. While less involved, some good bits come from Ryan Hurley as terminally stuffy Ernest, and Ian Burke as the invalid Nick.
Laura Johnson's set design works well for the piece, giving us slices of the three bedroom involved in this show, and Ms. Johnson, Barry O'Dowd, and Bob Nelson's lighting defines areas and times perfectly. Teri Krawitz' costumes also work well with character and setting.
Ayckbourn simply is not this reviewer's cup of tea. His plays are overlong and underwhelming, despite several moments of hilarity and cleverness. Those who enjoy his work, though, will find this a worthwhile retelling of one of his classic plays.
Production Details:
Bedroom Farce by Alan Ayckbourn
Tempe Little Theatre
The Tempe Center for the Performing Arts (For a map to location, click this
link)
(480) 350-8388
May 25th - June 3rd, 2001