Apollo Theatre was filled with the laughter and snorts from the audience getting to watch the brilliant Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Bedroom Farce’ on its opening night.
A play centred around four couples over one night and morning, and directed by Apollo regular Gwen Stevens, it depicts the nuances and many facets of relationships and how fragile love can be. Silly and farcical, the actors and director brought to life a script that had the audience laughing in hilarity whilst also being moved by a storyline which portrayed so many familiar aspects of our own lives and relationships.
The set was a clever use of space, split into three bedrooms for four couples, with the action of the play criss-crossing back and forth between different beds.
The first bedroom was occupied by Ernest (Ian Moth) and Delia (Maggie Cardew), who are parents to the disruptive Trevor. They reminisce how Trevor should have married the lovely Jan but instead he ended up marrying Susannah.
Moth and Cardew delivered their lines back and forth with such ease and familiarity, with their story arcing when the calamity of their son’s relationship woes spills into their bedroom. Special mention to Moth who it transpires had only stepped into the role a mere 2 weeks ago, but never once made that apparent to the audience!
Jan (Helen Reading) is married to self-pitying Nick (Steve Taverner), who is currently bed bound in the second bedroom. These two actors gave a masterclass in how just a look is enough to portray an emotion, with plenty of added physical comedy between the two as a device for Jan to portray how frustrated she is with Nick’s ‘woe is me’ attitude. I particularly loved the short scene with a singular ‘help!’, where Nick has fallen out of bed. Comedy gold!
Kate (Anthea Weekes) and Malcolm (Steve Reading) occupy the final bedroom and are the catalyst for the storyline, after they invite Trevor and his wife Susannah to their party. Weekes delivered her lines with such cute bluntness that it added to the laughs, especially when she announces she’s occasionally thought of staining the floor boards whilst in the arms of her husband! Reading’s transition from cheery to disgruntled husband was emphasised by his calamitous attempt at DIY (credit to the props team for this!).
Susannah (Vicki Cook), a depleted mantra-repeating woman on the verge of divorce, provided many laughs with her energetic and spontaneous performance. The scene with her mother in law was a highlight, with comedic timing on point.
Trevor (Stuart Egan) gave an endearing performance as a husband who finds himself bed-less after ruining the party by fighting with his wife.
The lighting and sound added to the quick pace of this play, and complicated sequences where action darted between bedrooms was mostly executed well.
The actors mostly kept the pace throughout, with energy rarely dipping. It was a laugh a minute performance, which culminated in a happy ending all round (even if Ernest wasn’t going to be bringing Delia her morning tea!).
Gwen Stevens brought alive a script that, although written in the 70’s, is still conceivable in today’s world. I loved the stage design and costumes, adding some 1970’s glamour.
It’s a winter-warming hit, and you have 6 more chances to catch it at The Apollo Theatre, Newport! For £10 a ticket, you simply can’t go wrong, so book here now: Bedroom Farce at Apollo Theatre, Newport event tickets from TicketSource
Reviewed by Bryony Bishop
IWtheatre 