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Tuesday, October 6, 2015

REVIEW: “NOT NOW, DARLING” AMUSES @ BICKFORD THEATRE

By Ruth Ross

If you're a farce fanatic like me, you can never get enough of slamming doors, double entendres, mistaken identities, physical comedy and general mayhem. That's why you should get on over to the Bickford Theatre where Ray Cooney and John Chapman's funny English farce, Not Now, Darling, is playing through October 18.

If you are a farce fanatic, you are probably more familiar with Ken Ludwig, Georges Feydeau or Ferenc Molnar, but Cooney's biggest success, Run for Your Wife, ran for nine years in London's West End and is its longest running comedy. Written in 1967 (and turned into a film in 1973), Not Now, Darling was his first effort in the genre, and while it lacks the polish of his later works, it makes enormous good fun of attempted infidelity and the tangle of misunderstandings which it can—and does—lead to. It is the perfect antidote for a world that seems to be turned topsy turvy with each passing newscast.

Arnold JanieNot Now, Darling takes place in the exclusive London fur salon of Bodley and Crouch, where Crouch (a well-meaning innocent) struggles to keep things on an even keel despite the energetic philandering of Bodley. At the moment, Bodley is trying to secure the affections of his latest would-be mistress by "selling" her husband an expensive mink fur coat for a fraction of its real worth, and the stammering Crouch is saddled with the task of consummating the sale with a straight face. As (bad) luck would have it, the husband seizes the bargain coat as the perfect gift for his own mistress—whereupon the complications burgeon uproariously, with poor Crouch caught in the middle. Suspicious wives, mistaken identities, scantily clad girls clapped hurriedly into closets and a continuous barrage of rapid fire jokes all become part of the hilarious doings, right up to the final curtain when, miraculously and to the great relief of all concerned, everything somehow manages to work out as it should.

Director Eric Hafen has a sure hand for comedy, so things stay light and breezy, keeping the action moving along at a steady clip, so necessary for the audience to accept the silliness on stage. Paul Whelihan (Above, with Erin Meirnar) as Crouch is the perfect actor for farce: His expressive face, great comedic timing and skill at physical comedy set the farcical tone from the outset and never flags. His talent makes me wish I saw more of him onstage. While he might not have the looks of a Lothario, David C. Neal is appropriately sleazy and smarmy as the two-timing Bodley; we can just imagine him as the salesman of the firm, a position he foists on his designer Crouch for this particular transaction.

Harry Arnold JanieAs the saucy blonde bombshell mistress Janie McMichael, Erin Beirnard is lusciously sexy, especially when wrapped in a fur coat—and not much else! Bob Mackay (right, with Whelihan and Beirnard) could be more thug-like as her gangster husband Harry; it's not really clear what nefarious business he's engaged in and he’s not very menacing. Of course, he too has a mistress, Sue Lawson, played with a Cockney ditziness by Anna Marie Sell; as her husband Charley, Ryan Genualdi is perfectly lower class. And Andrea Prendamano's uptight, dour Maude Bodley makes it clear why her hubby would prefer the freer Janie. Rounding out the group is Judy Wilson as the officious and efficient Miss Tipdale, the firm's executive secretary and Jane of all Trades, and Julia Salvo as the model Miss Whittington.

Once again Jonathan Wentz has designed a set that conveys the luxury of an upscale fur salon, and Roxie Zeek's costumes further the effect. Roman Klima's lighting bathes the stage in warm tones and enhances the atmosphere. A note about the accents: most of the actors maintain pretty authentic British (and for two characters, Cockney) accents, for which they are to be commended, but I doubt that they'd fool a real Brit.

Not Now, Darling may lack the polish of Cooney's later works, its characters may lack depth and it's bawdiness might be a bit light (Bodley never beds Janie and the language is clean if ribald), but the characters are sweet and lovable. When Not Now, Darling works best—as in a hilarious running gag that involves Whelihan tossing clothing out of a window—you can put aside any reservations you have and just laugh. This production at the Bickford Theatre will keep you amused for a couple of hours. Besides, seeing Paul Whelihan do his comedic thing is worth the price of the ticket.

Not Now, Darling will run at the Bickford Theatre in the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown, through October 18. For tickets and information, call the box office at 973.971.3706 or visit online at www.MorrisMuseum.org.

Photos by Warren Westura.