DON’T DRESS FOR
DINNER
Pier
Theatre, Bournemouth
1993
Robin
Hawdon’s adaptation of the Marc Camoletti
farce Don’t Dress For Dinner is jam packed
with laughter opportunities and the star studded
cast in the Mark Furness/Paul Elliott production
at The Pier Theatre exploits them with
predictable expertise. The hilariously
plausible scenario has husband Bernard, who
intends taking advantage of wife Jacqueline’s
absence by inviting mistress Suzanne to stay -
but Bernard’s alibi friend Robert is also
Jacqueline’s lover.
For popular
entertainer Les Dennis, it is first time out in
farce and he tackles the medium very effectively
to augment his considerable success in television
series, the musical Me And My Girl, variety and
panto.
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With Lionel Blair
revelling in the role of Bernard, Vicki
Michelle (from ‘Allo ‘Allo) in
delectable form as his wife and likeable Les
Dennis playing the friend, there is already
abundant humour provided for any
evening. But then we notice a face peeping
through the window. It’s Su Pollard
and anticipating her performance, the audience
erupts with laughter. High
expectations are surpassed as she repeats her
West End role of Suzette who arrives from a
catering agency to prepare dinner.
Employing her range of bewildered facial
expressions at constantly changing assumed
identities and blurting out the laughter lines,
it’s a faultless performance which has the
co-stars snapping into a higher gear to match her
as the pace accelerates. |
Enjoyably exhausted from
the frenetic action, we are allowed a brief
respite when Bernard’s mistress Suzanne
arrives. Played by the lithesome
Mandy Perryment, she embodies perception of a
beautiful bimbo and within minutes is dazedly
participating in this orgy of confusions so it’s
back to top speed antics.
Leslie Mills ably completes the cast as Suzette’s
jealously threatening husband George. Designed
by Peter Rice, this production is packing
the Pier Theatre and appears on course to break
previous box office records.
Christopher Day
- The Stage 1993
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