The Butler Did It! - 4 out of 5 stars
Tea Tree Players
TICKETS: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1505719
The audiences of Tea Tree Players love a laugh (and who wouldn’t in this day and age?) and consistently over the last 50 years, the company delivers quality comedy time and again. The tiny theatre that houses their shows is home to some remarkable talent both on and off stage and the near sold-out seasons of every show give testament to their reputation as a comedic force in Adelaide community theatre. “The Butler Did It”- the company’s second play for the year- continues this tradition finely.
American playwright Todd Wallinger’s farce plays on the
familiar tropes of the classic Whodunnit formula. It is England in the 1930’s
and Colonel Convington and his wife Lady Miranda are awaiting the arrival of
famed crime author, and close personal friend, Edwina Corry. The butler,
Jenkins, and the maid Sarah are squabbling over the next-door neighbour, Trevor
Barstow, who apparently is a bit of a cad and fairly unliked by almost
everybody. When Barstow proposes to the Covington’s daughter, Kat, it sets off
a quick chain of events and the hapless neighbour is found dead. With Jenkins
blamed, thanks to a bloody knife found on his person, it is time for the butler
to find out who REALLY did it before the police arrive. No mean feat given he
is tied to a chair…
Director Brian Godfrey is no slouch when it comes to these
plays. He knows how to illicit the best from a script that at times milks gags
a little too much and plays a little too much on the “Flying High!” style of
humorous wordplay (think “Surely you can’t be serious?” “I am serious, and
don’t call me Shirley”). The first act, like most farces, suffers from setup
that needs fast pacing and pinpoint timing to hook the audience in. Godfrey and
his cast handle this with reasonable ease. By the time we get to the second
act, the cast and audience have fallen into the rhythm of the show well.
Behind the scenes, the show had a number of cast changes
from its initial casting (something this critic has noticed is happening a
lot more these days across the board) but the cast that take to the stage
on opening night have done an excellent job in maintaining momentum and
presenting a tight and funny evening.
Adrian Heness, as Jenkins, has the most stage time and his
poe-faced mannerisms are the perfect fit for the misjudged butler. Although
starting a little nervous on opening night, Heness soon hits his stride, and he
makes the most of every second he is onstage. His physicality and his use of
facial expressions are a masterclass in old school comedy that would fit right
into a Buster Keaton feature.
Damon Hill is absolutely on point as the bumbling Colonel
Covington. Hill not only plays the role perfectly – and he gets the most laughs
of any character onstage – but his set design, as always, is remarkable in its
detail and depth. One wonders if they will erect a statue to him outside the
theatre at some point in the future, such is the high level of his designs.
Chris Galipo as Lady Miranda serves as perfect foil for
Hill’s husband and makes the most of her time onstage. Tim Cousins, as the loud
Irish priest Father Timothy, commands the stage with his presence and imbibes
his character with humour and energy and with enough vocal dynamics to give his
character some depth. Cathie Oldfield’s Edwina Corry is aloof and appropriately
snooty and her deadpan delivery is one of the highlights of the show.
Emily Sharland, as Sarah the maid, has some great scenes
early on but is sadly wasted later in the show. She is clearly a great actress
who will, with better material, really shine in the spotlight.
Similarly, Jessie Morgan, as tomboy Kat Covington, does an
admirable job playing the closest thing to a “straight role” in the show. Her
character, however, comes across as whiny and entitled which can leave the
audience feeling a little cold. Kudos to the young actress for bringing some
life into this thankless character.
Kyle McCarthy, as the annoying neighbour Trevor Barstow,
makes the most of his short time on stage playing his scenes with leering
charm. Finally, a word for the mysterious “Grams” playing herself. Her stage
time is small but memorable and another highlight of the show.
Apart from Hill’s outstanding set design, the costumes, as
always for Tea Tree Players, are excellent. Merici Thompson, Barry Hill, and
their team should be commended for getting the costumes immaculate. Mike
Phillips has, once again, done a great job with the lighting and sound design
bringing the world of 1930’s Britain into an immersive experience for the
audience.
Opening night had a few small hitches such as the opening
sound effect being too loud and overpowering the actors onstage, some wavering
accents from a number of characters, and a couple of moments where flow of the
script halted momentarily, but that is the joy of live theatre. These small
issues aside (which will no doubt iron themselves out over the season), this is
another slick production from Tea Tree Players.
While the show itself is hardly Shakespeare, it never
intends to be. This is comedy for what it is meant to be – a chance to forget
about the misery of the world for a couple of hours and laugh along at the
misfortunes of characters who thoroughly get what they deserve. Brian Godfrey
and his team (both on and off stage) have done a wonderful job at bringing this
play to life and you could do far worse than popping into the Tea Tree Players
Theatre and enjoying this ridiculous romp.
- Rodney Hrvatin
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