This review covers the second show of this year's Festival. The four shows, winners of their respective regional competitions, are now entered for this province-wide event.
Written by Marc Camoletti
Translated by Beverly Cross and Francis Evans
Directed by James Finan
Presented by the Northumberland Players (Cobourg)
Representing EODL (Eastern Ontario Drama League)
While comic plays with farcical elements are common enough at Festivals, it's a little less usual to see a performance of a show that can truly be called a "farce". Boeing Boeing can certainly be called a farce, and the author plainly stands in the honourable French tradition exemplified by the classic farces of Feydeau. Many of Feydeau's favourite elements are there: the sexual shenanigans, the multiple doors, the grumpy servant, the man desperately clinging to his sang-froid as his reputation flies out the window, and the lovable klutz who ends up getting the girl (well, one of the girls, anyway).
Once again, as so often before, I'm reminded of John Mortimer's classic description that farce is tragedy played at 130 revolutions per minute.
As some people will recall from the 1965 film starring Tony Curtis and Jerry Lewis, the story revolves around one horrible day in the life of Bernard: an American playboy in Paris who is simultaneously engaged to three different air hostesses from three different airlines. The play takes place entirely in the living room of Bernard's Paris apartment. That's all you need to know, and the farcical possibilities immediately begin to write themselves in your head.
There's no question in my mind that the Northumberland Players under director James Finan have staged a tight, coordinated production with full understanding of the possibilities inherent in the material. The special genius of this performance is the quality of their added comic schtick which is not described in the script. The best farce plays leave plenty of room for the director and performers to build in their own special touches.
This play is very definitely a period piece. It gets tilted that way by the fact that the first of the three air hostesses we meet works for TWA (Trans World Airlines), an American company that has been gone now lo these many years (so has Pan Am, which also gets mentioned in passing!). But the real period reference that no producing company can duck around is the fact that all three hostesses mention that they are shortly transferring to the new jet airliners.
(I'll diverge here for a moment because -- after almost 70 years of regular jet flights -- most people have no idea what a huge difference that little fact could make to Bernard's carefully-plotted and complex scheme. Put it simply. Overnight, the flight time from New York to Paris was slashed from 14 hours with one stop to 6.5 hours with no stops. All other major overseas routes were similarly and dramatically shortened. Even Bernard fails to grasp the full significance of this new development, obvious from the fact that he still thinks he'll be able to keep himself in the air, as it were.)
The Finan team of director/set designer James and costume designer/constructor Jamie totally captured the look of the period. The primary red, yellow and blue uniforms of the three hostesses were not accurate reproductions but definitely appropriate in style with the tightly fitted blazers and short, slit skirts. So was the maid's frilly apron and cap. Robert's dorky, ugly sweater was perhaps not period-accurate but certainly suited the character.
The apartment was painted overall in a gentle light grey, with white trim. Glistening white leather furniture (and a blazing red heart-shaped cushion) provided seating areas, and more. A flashy Pop Art piece, a spectacularly creepy mirror, and a desk with a pop-out secret compartment were all useful additions. So was the big capital letter G on the wall (the initial of all three girls' names) and the picture frame on the table with pictures of all three hostesses stacked inside it. Best of all were the brilliantly coloured doors: yellow downstage right to the principal bedroom, pink upstage right with a circular silver porthole to the kitchen, white french doors up centre to the hall, a green door up centre left to the bathroom, a red door up left to the small bedroom, and finally a blue door down left to the middling-nice bedroom.
Adjudicator Mimi Mekler reminded us of Ken Ludwig's dictum on farce: whether you have $500 or $50,000 dollars, spend it on the doors! All doors shut firmly, with a satisfying clunk, and no walls quivered -- the ideal effect wanted.
A quick run-through who's who in the cast, because I really want to focus this time on some of my favourite moments in this zany farce.
Kristy Bird was crisp, efficient, and sexy-without-sensual as Gloria, the TWA hostess. David Hoare was (at first) a suave, smooth operator as Bernard -- gradually unravelling at the seams into Act II and finally coming completely apart in Act III. It was the classic Greek tragic fate of the man brought low by his own hubris -- and played, as it has to be, at 130 revolutions per minute! Jamie Hunt played a whole raft of delicious caricatures as Bernard's dorky school chum, Robert. Jody Ledgerwood provided sensuality to burn as the Italian hostess Gabriella, mingled with turn-on-a-dime switches to anger. Anne-Marie Bouthillette created a different kind of character again as Gretchen from Germany, mixing sex and practicality with kisses and pouts. About that pout: combined with her dark hair and eyes, and with a tightly bobbed hair style, her tight costume gave her a distinct look of Betty Boop, a look which actually served her character very well.
No, I did not forget someone, because for me the maid, Berthe, played by Helen Pitt Matthew, was the outstanding performer of the show. Never over the top, but just one notch away from it, her comic schtick was always perfectly judged. So was her timing. Her accent was the most believable, and her words -- although rapid in places -- were always completely audible thanks to her superb diction. It was her expressive face and body language that sealed the deal. Every look, every gesture seemed to generate laughs from the audience -- and who was I to disagree? I laughed heartily too!
Favourite moments. Oh, my -- where to begin?
The incredulous look on Robert's face as he sees Bernard getting liberally smooched -- and more -- by Gabriella.
The look on Bernard's face each time one of his fiancees tells him that she will be transferred to the jets and so be able to spend much more time with him.
Berthe's perfectly timed "Frankfurters... and sauerkraut!" on being told that Gretchen will be coming to dinner that night.
The hilarious kiss when Robert gets surprise-attacked from behind his newspaper by -- I think -- Gabriella. Sometimes it's hard to remember which hostess did what to whom and when.
Gretchen's ecstatic ode to her loneliness as she "soothes" herself on the couch with the heart shaped pillow underneath her. (If you can picture this, great! If not, better not ask.)
Bernard and Robert attempting to persuade each girl in succession to go away for a nice night in the country at St-Germain-en-Laye (which probably isn't even in the country any more today!).
The perfectly timed curtain line of Act II: Berthe filling the glasses, and telling Robert to "Drink up!" because it's going to be a rough night (it already is, of course).
Robert's repeated shenanigans as he rapidly switches the photos in the frame, again and again.
The gradual degrees by which Gretchen allows herself to fall in love with Robert.
The fight scene between Robert and Bernard, uniquely staged behind the couch with heads, feet, etc., popping periodically into view at some rather odd angles.
Robert's repeated and carefully graduated pronouncements that "Nothing is impossible."
The look on Bernard's face, after successfully calming down Gretchen and Gabriella when he suddenly realizes he's forgotten about Gloria in the small bedroom.
There are so many, many more moments in the show that I could mention, and I'm sure every person in the audience could list their own personal favourites. We all had a delightful evening -- we laughed ourselves silly from start to finish. Full marks to the Northumberland Players for a sharp, tight, polished presentation of a classic farce, a genre that is always much tougher than it seems at first blush.
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