Despite the subject matter, theatregoers don’t have to be married or middle-aged to enjoy Theatre Orangeville’s latest production, Separate Beds.
The hilarious tale, billed as “a naughty nautical comedy,” can be enjoyed by adults of all ages – but only until Nov. 9.
Mary Long returns to Theatre Orangeville after her role in last year’s successful production of Sexy Laundry. She plays Twink, who despite her obvious fear of being on the water, is looking forward to a great vacation on a cruise ship with Ernie, her husband of 33 years, played by Ralph Small.
Long is superb in her portrayal of the overly emotional yet very supportive wife, who wants nothing more than to rekindle the romantic spark she and Ernie once shared.
She delivers her lines with near perfect tone and timing, and throughout the entire production, remains the comedic equal of Small – a great feat considering the abundance of hilarious material provided in the script for Small.
Ernie is the grumpy, fiscally responsible owner of a hardware store, who has clearly not been on a vacation in some time. He laments that the couple’s children should have sent him and Twink to Myrtle Beach for a golf trip instead.
His misgivings about the cruise are reinforced when they meet Beth and Blake, also played by Small and Long.
Ernie’s feelings for Blake, a self-professed “visionary,” and Beth, a seemingly successful actress, are less than favourable from the beginning. He resents the couple’s obvious marital bliss, while Twink is a little jealous of it.
But the couple learns several life-altering lessons by the end of the play which, while cliché, are tactfully explored by playwright Maryjane Cruise and director Walter Learning.
They include the familiar mantras that: looks can be deceiving, money can’t buy love or happiness, family is number one, true love lasts forever, and loving what you do is not always the same as doing what you love.
Originally written in 2002 as a one-act play, Cruise added a second act a year later to allow the audience to meet Blake and Beth. While the second act stalls the play’s momentum in a few spots, it is a welcome addition and vital to the exploration of Ernie and Twink’s relationship.
Overall, the play is a riot. Long and Small are fabulous in all four roles and have amazing on-stage chemistry.
And Cruise is masterful in achieving one of the most daunting tasks faced by all playwrights – taking “ordinary” characters and transforming them into diverse, insightful, and charismatic personalities.
Separate Beds runs until Nov. 9. To order tickets call 519-942-3423 or 1-800-424-1295 or email tickets@theatreorangeville.ca.
