Another treat from Harbury Theatre Group

HARBURY Theatre Group is always a treat. They were presenting two one-act comedies, The Visitors from Forest Hill from Neil Simon’s well-loved Plaza Suite and Breakfast for One by David Foxton.

The Visitors from Forest Hill were wedding guests dealing with a reluctant bride Mimsy (Emily Jackson) who has locked herself in the bathroom of the New York Plaza hotel. Her parents is to lure, cajole, threaten her out. Mum Norma (wonderful Janet Thornley) ladders her stockings, dad Roy (Keith Hayes) gets soaked to the skin, tears his rented suit and nearly falls to his death from the 7th floor.

The humour - and this was very funny - comes from the absolute desire to pretend that everything is under control when it so plainly isn’t. Finally, the ‘husband’ Borden (Chris Beaton) simply tells the bride to “Cool it!” and it’s sufficient to calm her nerves. Accents were a bit indeterminate throughout but it was a thoroughly enjoyable performance.

Breakfast for One was equally funny. We are in Fin de Siecle Paris and Yvette Signac (Karen Ellis) always brings an ‘unfortunate’ home for breakfast much to her husband’s Vincent (Keith Hayes) disgust. One-too-sharp Claude Vallette (Andrew Lawrence) is intent on theft but there’s another stranger there too - Marcel Morisot (Chris Beaton) who has followed a burlesque dancer from Le Lapin Mechant.

The confusion between the two strangers is the meat of the matter. Emily Jackson as Honorine, the maid, is wonderful. The twist in the tail was beautifully handled and Marcel’s madcap scene very funny indeed. Nice work!

Jane Howard