Superb acting by Kenilworth company

The Priory Theatre's production of Alan Ayckbourn's If I Were You.

The Redales are an ordinary family.

Father Mal (Mike Jones) is going under with the strain of work, and with hiding an affair his wife has known about for ages. Wife Jill (Lydia J Ward) has lost most of her confidence after years of providing a barrier between him and his children, Sam (Liam Hogan-Birse), who earns Mal’s contempt by wanting to play Shakespeare at school, and Chrissie, his favourite, who he cannot see is being abused by her husband Dean (Darryl Hughes), who is also Mal’s work mate and drinking buddy.

Just as things are about to reach breaking point, a magical twist occurs and Jill wakes up as Mal and Mal as Jill. Their comic attempts to cover up lead them both to learn about each other, and when the spell is lifted, they go forth renewed.

The idea of gender role reversal isn’t new, but it is deftly handled by this sharp and funny script written by a master of his craft. The cast were superb. But this is no cross-dressing rugby club party: the play, while often hilarious, has bite.

The programme says this is Lydia J Ward’s debut. The Priory should look after her. She is a gem of an actress, fluent and easy in her roles. Mike Jones was the rock on which the performance relied. Chris Sharp’s direction was spot on.

This is one of the best performances I’ve seen at the Priory. A great choice of play and a cast that played together well.

Nick Le Mesurier