THE PLAY: The titular butler from the P.G. Wodehouse books presides over the mistaken-identity mayhem that ensues in the London flat.
THE PRODUCTION: This script is not inherently funny, so it’s up to the staging and performances to create the comedy. Director Laurie Follmer has chosen an approach that focuses more on the farce than a less-refined British approach. The show is jammed with energy and often frantic blocking. The two female cast members (Emma Follmer & Terri Moore) fare better with their more restrained approach, while the men go all-out broad. Paula & Chris Kern have used a Wedgewood palate for the attractive drawing room, although it feels a bit under furnished. The trio credited with the costumes fares better with the ladies’ frocks than the men’s sometimes ill-fitting suits. Running time: 1:45
THE POINT: The traditional restraint of a British comedy of manners is supplanted by often broad farce in this lively production.
(2.5 / 5)
At CAT Theatre thru 4/1
