Cast clicks in comedy

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Alan Ayckbourn’s Living Together has a simple format, but can be tricky to perform successfully.

Relaying the intimacies the interplay between the characters reveals takes not a little talent and the cast of the Cayman Drama Society perform the task admirably.

The play is, essentially, very English, but Canadian Mark Anthony Campbell gets away with the accent because of the other endearing qualities he captures in his portrayal of the play’s central character, Norman, the handsome, boyish philanderer.

As a dashing, debonair womaniser, Norman makes a very good tramp.

Not many men could get away with wearing an ill–fitting, sharply contrasting borrowed suit with trainers – but somehow Norman does, despite the fact that during the second part of the production he also has a pinafore tied around his waist too.

The play centres on a family gathering of two sisters and their brother, complete with partners in the house where Annie (Penny Paterson) lives and looks after their ailing and formidable mother.

The interaction basically relays how Norman manages to, shall we say, win the hearts of the womenfolk, picking them off one by one until in the end the ladies are, quite literally, at each other’s throats.

Normally, the girls would round on such a cad and make him pay in triplicate for trifling with their affections.

But, once again, Norman comes up smelling of roses as he gets a kiss from Annie, his first target, who forgives him for giving her the run–around, has Sarah (Janine Moss) in a permanent quiver after a dalliance in the kitchen and makes it up with wife Ruth (Sarah Pyke) in a highly amusing romp on the rug in the sitting room where all the other action takes place too.

Peter O’Sullivan as Tom, the mousey friend of the family, who is earmarked as Annie’s hot date, and Ian Morgan’s Reg, complete with captivating board game and funny walks that John Cleese would have been proud of, complement the other more colourful characters perfectly.

It all adds up to a thoroughly entertaining, enjoyable and touching performance that is sure to be well received by the island’s theatre lovers.

Living Together continues Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays to 16 July at Prospect Playhouse.

Dinner evenings are planned for each of the Saturdays with Bayside Café’s excellent, friendly and courteous staff providing their usual superb array of dishes.