Can’t beat a good farce

It all started with the raincoat... a slick show by Kintbury Players

Kintbury Players: Kindly Keep it Covered, at Coronation Hall, Kintbury from Thursday, November 21, to Saturday, November 23

Farce is farce and carries its own logic – one that in any normal life situation would appear ludicrous. Anyway, try this for size:

Sidney (Julian Dickins), thought to be dead, turns up at the spa his wife and her new husband Roland are running, collides with a camel in the big pool area, falls in and has to strip off as Roland comes to his rescue with a raincoat to cover him.

Later he is found in a cupboard where his raincoat falls open and he shocks various women who think he is flashing at them. It gets worse. Roland tries to convince Vanessa (Kate Edwards), wife of his ex-boss, that Sidney is an ornithologist who tried to save an ailing pigeon by holding it close to his chest and when he flung open his raincoat it was a gesture similar to the one he performed when setting the pigeon free. So Roland's explanation that Sidney 'let the pigeon out' is misunderstood all round. Of course it was...

Unlikely and ludicrous as it all was, this was part of a slick and well-played production by Kintbury Players, where the action unfolded on a bright, well-lit and designed setting that included a working spa water dispenser.

Gerry Heaton as Roland had to jump around, shout and exclaim noisily all through, which he did in true farcical fashion. Julian Dickins impressed with his various disguises, a creditable French accent and some telling facial expressions. Tiffany Saul played Julia with a straight ahead manner and an impressive ability to remain still on stage when required. Julie Carlisle was a convincing as the sort of mother-in-law to be avoided and Kate Edwards played a compassionate Vanessa.

Stephen Cook was a spa client always hungry and looking for real food and handled the various comic situations he found himself in well. Roy Hutchings appeared briefly as a police sergeant who was also part of a jazz group called the Swinging Truncheons – I know, I know...

There was also a full-size dummy on stage much of the time, but let’s not go into that now. Unlikely. Ludicrous. Yes. But full marks to KP for a thoroughly entertaining performance of Dave Freeman's play.

DEREK ANSELL