Christmas comes in July with a slapstick British farce that has the audience looking from left to right, front to back and everywhere in between, trying to catch all of the ridiculous situations arising in Drayton Entertainment’s It Runs in the Family.
The latest installment at the Drayton Festival Theatre has the audience wondering just how insane a situation can get before it explodes, or implodes, on lie instigator Dr. David Mortimore (Rob McClure).
Though the farce begins under normal circumstances, with doctors being doctors and lecturers being lecturers, the play is quick to go off the rails with lie after lie building so even the audience isn’t sure what is real and what is the fib.
Dr. Mortimore spends the majority of the play weaving a web of lies to ensure his senior colleague Sir Willoughby Drake (Nicholas Rice) and his wife Rosemary Mortimore (Susan Gilmour) don’t find out about an 18-year-old indiscretion that led to an illegitimate son.
The story that follows is a hodgepodge of mistaken identities (encouraged by lies), dangerous window escapes, police investigations, family reunions, nosey patients and most importantly, the esteemed Ponsonby Lecture.
The actors do such a fabulous job acting confused themselves that their jokes, lies and actions seem completely spontaneous. Even the seasoned professionals can’t keep a straight face amid the mayhem on stage.
At one point Dr. Hubert Bonney (Eddie Glen) and Jane Tate (Amanda Leigh) had to cover up a mysterious sound by breaking into a Kung Fu-inspired routine where Glen stands behind Leigh, who puts her hands behind her back and allows Glen’s arms to take over as her own. Leigh then proceeds to exaggerate a lip-sync to Glen’s words.
The scene is lengthy and has the entire audience laughing by the end, but the real humour is in watching the other actors on stage. McClure appeared to try and hide his amusement but he was cracking up by the end and when Glen stepped out from behind Leigh his shoulders were shaking with laughter even though he hid his face.
For the first few scenes Glen appeared to be the straight man in a sea of hilarity, but he quickly proved his funny gene. As his sidekick, Dr. Mortimer often made Dr. Bonney get into the most ridiculous situations and Glen performed each with precision and poise, appearing to actually be exasperated by Dr. Mortimer’s request.
There was never a moment when Pember was on stage that he didn’t have the audience in stitches at something he said or did. He moved seamlessly between a sad young man looking for his father to the angry young man looking for his father, causing all the characters to hop to it when he decided to wreak havoc.
Though he played a supporting role David Talbot did a fantastic job as Bill, the hospital patient who thinks the doctors’ lounge, where the entire play is set, is his new private room.
From his comedic timing of repeating “hello” each time someone answers the phone, to spilling the beans about all of Dr. Mortimore’s secrets, Talbot brought a newlevel of comedy to the second half.
McClure did a spectacular job in the role of Dr. David Mortimore and at times made his face turn red on stage, giving an additional level of authenticity to the scene. McClure’s line of sight was bang on and when he was telling a whopper of a lie he would often get a glazed look and focus off into the distance, an action everyone can relate to every now and then.
Leigh was perfect as Dr. Mortimore’s former lover. While her facial expressions seemed at times over exaggerated they were the perfect addition to the farce’s feel. Leigh spent much of her time on stage acting as though she was acting, which can’t be easy. She did so with wit and ease, all the while making it clear that she was onboard for the weird and wacky, but her son was her top priority.
Alex Mustakas showed his directing prowess in the fast-paced, timing-dependent production. Actors knew just when to deliver their line, raise their eyebrow or look at the crowd in just the right way.
It Runs in the Family is a not-to-be-missed British farce for slapstick comedy lovers, laugh seekers and Christmas season junkies who need a little holiday cheer amidst the hot temperatures of a Canadian summer.
It Runs in the Family is on stage at the Drayton Festival Theatre until Aug. 6. Tickets may be purchased online at www.draytonentertainment.com, in person at any Drayton Entertainment box office, or by calling toll free 1-855-DRAYTON (372-9866).
