d
NORT

Contrasting comedies
compete at festival

HOW well docs comedy stand
the test of time?

Do plays that made us laugh 25 and
30 vears ago still work, or do sociery’s
changing stifles and values make what
once seemed hilarious, merely quaint?
Or has grumpy middle-age replaced
youthful humor.

Last week, Carrain Cail reviewed
the dramas that will be in contention at
Theatre B.G.'s Festival of Plays next
week at Presentation House.

This week it’s the turn of the comedies — a British farce from
Presentation House Productions (PHP) and an carly Neil Simon
from the newly revitalized Theatre West Van working our of
Capilano College's beautiful new theatre. Both shows run until May
3 if you don’t want to wait until festival week.

My memeries of the Ray Cooney and John Chapman farce, dfove
Over, Mrs. Markham, produced many times locally in the seventies,
were that the humor had to do with who was gay in the play,

Fortunately, my middle-aged memory proved faulty and i'm
happy to report there’s a decided twist to the usual British preceeu-
pation with “poufts.”

Joanna and Philip are having their flat redecorated. Will the swish-
bur-streight interior designer get it on with the German maid?

Joanna and Philip's marriage is fizaling. Will either give in te
temptation?

Philip’s publishing partner, Henry, wants to borrow the flat for an
evening tryst with an, as yer unseen, telephone operator.

Henry’s wife, Linda, is Joanna’s best triend and also wants to bor-
row the flat for rhe same evening for a quick bonk with Walter.

Once all this is set up, enter Olive “I doa‘ like sex” Harriet
Smythe and her children’s books that Philip would love to publish —
- providing he can convince her there is no hanky-panky going on.

Like most British farces, it’s all quite silly, with its principle rela-
tionships having all the depth of a Sun editorial.

But that’s not the point. These farces wind situation and coinci-
den. into a knot of confusion that is pulled tighter and tighter until
the audience is actively involved in waiting for the next thing to go
wrong, for the hapless protagonists.

Set designer Geoff Adams kas done a great job in creating the req-
uisite number of doors (for people to hide behind) on Presentation
House’s oddly-shaped stage and an even better job of setting the play
in its 1971] free-love era (although I’m still not sure about that fauy-
window with the photograph of Tower Bridge).

There’s not a weak Jink in director Dave Mcintosh’s excellent cast
(although Kristen Robinson’s dialect seems to slow her down} and
several standouts, including Callum Henderson’s campy Alistair,
Mark Gash’s uptight Philip, Peter Little’s relaxed Henry and Jackie
Bowyer’s secretly naughty Olive Harriet Smythe.

Pace is always an issue with this form of farce and the cast races
from the top to rev up the action. However, this does result in a slight

curtain
call

See Barefoot page 16

CAROLINE Heisler and Tim Cadeny are featured as the
starry-eyed, innocent who wants to walk “barefoot in the
park” and her buttoned-down husband in Theatre West
Van's production of Nei! Simon’s charming comedy.

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Photo submitted

WARNING: Chorus Language. West Vancouver-based Pandora's Vox vocal ensemble is at the Vancouver
East Cultural Centre May 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. Jazz, swing, blues, Broadway and some surprises are promised.

Wednesday, April 30, 1997 — Narth Shore News — 15

| IE

GALLERIES
Dundarave Cafe: Ont
and Atout in Oil and
Watereofonr, an exhibition
of paintings by Lucy
Collings. To May 3.
Ferry Building Gallery:
Colour in’ Phatanvrapiy, a
nwo-person exhibi: by Rob
Atkins and Harold Ma. Fo
4.Grad Show trom
‘ Vancouver
Secondary Schools runs
May 6 ro 18. Hours: 11
am. to 5 p.m., closed
Mondays. Info: 925-7290.
Leo Marshall
Curriculum Centre,
Artists for Kids Gallery:
Bugs, Birds and Beasts,
Jack Shadbolt’s first young
people’s exhibition.

ee fore

NEWS photo Cindy Geodma:

Weekends, noon to + p.m.
To April 26. Information:
987-6667.

North Vancouver
District Hall: Carpe
Diem —- Seise the Dav.
Anny Hurst's watercolors
and oils. Presented by the
North Vancouver
Comimunity Arts Council.
Business hours.

North Vancouver
Museum and Archives:
Fire! Firefighting through
the ages. A major exhibit
organized in conjunction
with the West Vancouver
Museum and Archives and
the three North Shore Fire
Departments. To October
12. Wednesdav to Sunday,
noon to 3) p.m, Free.
Information: 987-5618.

See more page 17