Like many, I love a good farce. The experience of farce is like no other – that mounting, building up of tension waiting for the time when the culprit playboy or playgirl, let’s not be sexist, is finally found out.
The French came up this form so it is perfectly understandable that they have also have come up with most of the best farces. Like Marc Camoletti’s BOEING BOEING, set in the swinging sixties in Paris.
This latest play being put on by the Rockdale Theatre Guild was well directed by Susan Stapleton. BOEING BOEING is a farce with the ever so frequent opening and closing of doors that requires split second timing and the cast never missed a beat.
Nathan Farrow, who first walked the boards at the tender age of eleven, plays the lead, french playboy Bernard, a journalist, (not that we see him doing any writing), who busily entertains three air hostesses from three different international airlines at of-course different times. How does he manage it? With the help of a friend who gives him access to all the different airline timetables.
Nathan gives a good comic, physical performance in the role which sees him frequently bounding across the stage, jumping over sofas, et al..
The play starts with him entertaining American flight steward, Gloria. Over the course of the play Gloria proves to be the feistiest and most independent of the young women. Caitlin Gleeson gives a neatly judged performance in the role.
Bernard’s shenanigans with Gloria are interrupted by an unscheduled visit by Robert, an old friend of his from the provinces. Bernard is so delighted to see him that he asks him to stay with him till he finds somewhere to live. When Gloria exits the scene, Bernard proudly boosts to Robert of the details of his Lothario lifestyle. Robert is suitably impressed and envious.
Daniel Cawthorne was very adept in this role which was played by the late great Jerry Lewis in the movie version. Plenty of physicality in his fine comic performance. He seemed to enjoy all the attention from the lovely women. Then again what a actor wouldn’t!
Bernard’s intrepid lifestyle would not be able to be maintained without the sometimes reluctant, often grumpy but always capable help of his servant and chef, Maurice. (Interesting to note in the original play this was a female role bearing the name of Bertha).
As Maurice, Akshay Bharde was an audience favourite in another neatly judged comic performance. Maurice gets so jacked off by Bernard’s blase treatment of him that he tries to walk off the job, that is until Bernard offers him more money!
Of all the characters on stage Alitalia hostie Gabriella came across as the most earnest, and this came across well in Rosemary Ghazi’s performance.
Donna Randall played the part of Gretchen, the last hostess to appear on stage, all the way from Germany! Last but certainly not least! Randall was another audience favourite as the formidable German lady who was definitely one not to mess with!
Jim Searle’s set of Bernard’s Parisian boudoir impressed. At the centre of the living room was a chaise lounge and then a pouffe. Far stage right was a drink caddy which the characters partake of when things got stressful. Also stage right was a telephone on the wall, which rang too often for Bernard and was often the bearer of ill tidings. The back of the stage featured the vestibule area which involved plenty of steady in an out traffic.
Plenty of fun and games with this production. Recommended, BOEING BOEING is playing the Rockdale Theatre Guild, Walz Street, Rockdale until Saturday 25th November. Performances are most Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm and Sunday afternoons at 5pm.
The Guild Theatre is offering a flat rate of $20 for tickets bought for any Wednesday evening performances. There is a booking phone line – 95216358.
http://www.guildtheatre.com.au