Superb all round production show Talisman's quality
Present Laughter is one of Noël Coward’ cleverest plays, allowing him to showcase his wit, poke fun at the people who hovered around him like moths attracted to a light, and get all the best lines in what is in effect an autobiographical role as actor Garry Essendine [Phil Reynolds].
Phil, who was on stage most of the play, was outstanding and was the key to this top notch Talisman production. He had a huge amount of script and showed terrific stamina, as he ran through a breadth of emotions in dealings with his wife, friends, and admirers, some wanted, some unwanted. The play was well cast and developed the characters well. Aoife O’Gorman was wonderful as his secretary, efficient and patient with Garry’s narcissism, while Connor Bailey was the phlegmatic valet, unmoved by the behaviour of his employer.
Adam Turner gave his best performance to date as eccentric, and probably neurodivergent, Roland. Alexandra Newman gave a solid performance as the naïve ingenue, infatuated with Garry who had to resist her advances, contrasting with Ruth Linnett who was well cast as the tall blond vamp. Kathy Buckingham-Underhill garnered laughs as the eccentric maid, with a curious accent that started in Scandinavia, went to Ireland and visited various places in between.
Once again John Ellam’s set design splendidly conveyed the elegant style of 1940s London, while costumes by Emily Tuff, especially Garry’s range of dressing gowns and smoking jackets, took us to the heart of the elite society of the time.
This was a lengthy play, which at times was slow-paced, but it highlighted that beneath the success and the cynicism, Garry was lonely in a crowd. In the lead role, Phil was superbly supported by a cast and crew that cements The Talisman’s reputation as a first rate amateur theatre company.
Performed at The Talisman Theatre, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, until 15 February 2025.
Tickets from www.talisman.co.uk