Drayton Entertainment has brought to the stage one of Britain’s finest farces.
Opening night of One for the Pot on July 27 at the Dunfield Theatre kept the audience laughing from the opening scene to the final curtain. The show’s outrageous characters, plot twists and frantic pace leave the audience guessing right up until the last scene.
One for the Pot is the story of Billy Hickory Wood, played by the outrageously talented Eddie Glen, who is no stranger to Drayton Entertainment, having starred in many productions with the theatre company.
Wood must prove he is the only surviving child of a rich mill owner in order to claim an inheritance of £10,000. As expected, when a large amount of money is involved, interesting individuals appear on the scene, all attempting to claim the cash. In this situation, all the possible heirs are identical in appearance to Wood but come from different areas of the continent.
The story is set in the household of Jonathan Hardcastle, played by actor Brian Tree, who is making his debut with Drayton Entertainment. Hardcastle, incapacitated by a large plaster cast on his foot, has arranged the offer of £10,000.
During a birthday celebration for his daughter Cynthia, Wood, accompanied by his friend/lawyer Charlie Barnet, show up to stake a claim. Actress Sarah Higgins plays the role of Cynthia, the overprotected child, whose every move is scrutinized by her father. Barnet is the friend-turned-lawyer with charm and devious plans that cost him financially. Barnet’s character is played by the talented Tim Funnell.
Involved in Barnet’s schemes is actor David Leyshon as the house servant Jugg, whose terms are strictly cash and he manages to empty Barnet’s pockets of cash throughout the show. The tides turn for Barnet and his financial situation takes a slight turn for the better.
Barnet’s schemes seem to be working until Wood’s wife Winnie, arrives in search of her husband. Winnie, played by Amanda Leigh, deeply loves her Billy and in an overly dramatic fashion has a presence on the stage like no other.
As the show progresses, a number of plot twists reveal more claimants of the inheritance. Just when the legal papers are about to be signed, another twist to the plot occurs.
Each claimant to the fortune is played by Glen, who masterfully enters and exits the stage by doors to various rooms and gardens. He portrays each character’s personalities and regional accents with perfection, using humorous body language and facial expressions.
Director Marcia Kash and her team maintain the frantic pace of the show, which features a tango turned bull fight and a cabinet drawer that at times slows down the pace. The stage is tastefully decorated with typical British wares including a fireplace, horse and hound paintings, china, vases and furniture fabrics suited to the era.
Written by Ray Cooney and Tony Hilton in 1959, One for the Pot, runs until Aug. 12. Tickets are available at draytonentertainment.com, at the box office, or by calling toll free 1-855-372-9866.
