YOU'RE unlikely to come across an American backstage farce funnier than this – unless it's Lend Me A Tenor, also by Ken Ludwig.
In Moon over Buffalo, set in 1953, a pair of ageing thespians are on tour with Cyrano de Bergerac and Noel Coward's Pri
vate Lives.
Suddenly, it seems they are about to break into movies when a great Hollywood director comes to town.
Ian Stead is outstanding as George, the walking ham, full of swagger one moment, disastrously hitting the bottle the next. The theatricality of his wife, Charlotte, is perfectly captured by Brenda Chapel, delivering her one-line putdowns with exquisite comic timing.
Rachel Ingham sparkles as Roz, improbably engaged to deadpan weatherman Howard, done to a turn by Matt Coates.
She might better have had Colin Wolfenden's Paul, who not only can do a passable Noel Coward impression, but happens to be in love with her.
Olga Conyers threatens to steal scenes as dotty old aunt Ethel and Ben Drury does a good line as long-suffering lawyer Richard, perennially standing by to run off with Charlotte, while Kerry-Anne Fennelly simpers splendidly as George's pregnant girlfriend, Eileen.
Great scope here, then, for a caboodle of hilarious misunderstandings.
But nothing quite prepares the audience for the gloriously madcap onstage performance with George resolutely keeping his pecker up as Cyrano – while the rest of the company perform Private Lives!
It's on until Saturday.
The full article contains 242 words and appears in Evening Courier newspaper.
