Don't Dress for Dinner by Marc Camoletti
Knebworth Village Hall
Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th October 2009
Curtain Up 8pm

Chaos and matrimonial mayhem were definitely on the menu in the Knebworth Players production of Don't Dress for Dinner. They dished up the laughs for a solid two hours, three nights running at the Village Hall in Knebworth.

The performance started well with a round of applause for the set on the first night - fully deserved too - and it was a credit to Robert VanGoethem and his construction team and Graham Dormer, the producer and director of the production.

The story revolves around Bernard, played by David Smith, who plans a cosy night in with his mistress and invites his best mate and best man Robert, played by Wayne Jarvis, to reminisce about their batchelor days using Robert as an alibi. However, Bernard's wife, Jacqueline, played by Liane Welch, who was planning to spent the weekend at her mothers, cancels her trip when she learns that Robert, the "best man" in more ways than one, is coming for the weekend. As if things weren't already hotting up outside of the kitchen, even further chaos is added when the cook, hired for the evening, Suzette, played by Lesley Shadbolt, arrives and is mistaken by Robert as Bernard's mistress who he then has to pretend is his mistress to throw Jacqueline off the scent. Confused? Hmmm! Then let me tell you that just when you think and they think they are getting away with it, covering all eventualities, enter the real mistress, played by Kelly-Ann Corderoy. So a tangled web is fast becoming even more hilariously funny by the minute. Its a play of fast dialogue, witty inuendos, mistaken identities and plenty of scope for visual comedy.

All actors delivered and executed their lines with full punches. Characterisation was well thought through and the whole cast worked as a team to pull off this more than ambitious production that many professionals would have struggled to achieve.

David Smith played the deceitful, yet very likeable, husband trying to keep the evening running smoothly, yet with every lie he became ever nearer to getting his just desserts! Wayne Jarvis, who not only fought physically on stage with his best pal, then fought off the other jealous husband George, played by Graham Dormer. Wayne also fought, and very successfully too, through some of the longest tongue twisting dialogue imaginable, often receiving a round of well earned applause from the audience.These two characters held the play from start to finish and both played opposite each other in a cast iron performance which was a joy to watch.

Liane Welch, playing the baffled wife whilst also having an affair was played with great bewilderment and with her sometimes spiteful, venomous cusses, gave a performance with many sides to her character.

Lesley Shadbolt played, it would seem, more characters in this one play than her entire back catalogue with the Players. She went from cordon-bleu cook, mistress, girlfriend, niece, one of the "London in-crowd" to prostitute and pig sty attendant. How can this all fit into one play - let alone one person? This was an ambitious part for Lesley but she nailed it and "maid" it her own. Probably the only "decent" person in the whole charade, she brought humour in many shades.

The door opened at one point to reveal a figure-hugging black dress and full length Chanel cost donned by Kelly-Ann Corderoy, playing Suzanne. This glamorous seductress ends up cooking the meal and skivvying for the whole house-hold. By the end of the play it isn't just the cooking that she is stirring! Kelly pouted her way through lines which made the men in the play sweat. With every slip of her tongue, she almost let the cat out of the bag - "I'll have my usual" she says to Bernard as he invites her to join them for a drink and "I'm not angry" she reassures him as he says "Don't be angry darling" - meant for his wife.

George, played by Graham Dormer, turns up to pick his wife, the real cook, only to find what he thinks is a rudy orgy going on with his Suzy in the middle of it. "But it's only a game to get up of the washing up flower" Suzette reassures him.The humour here is when they try and send him home with the scantily clad woman Suzy (Suzanne) that he has never met before. "Nice if you like your beef rare" he adds.

All in all, the cast were believable and milked every line with the humour it was intended to deliver and receive. Ten out of ten for a fantastic show that they should be proud of.

From where I sat, the audience enjoyed it as much as I did. In a world that is so often doom and gloom, not one person left the village hall without having had a good laugh and the feel good factor.

The production was also a daring publicity exercise in a bid to appeal to a larger audience. Seats were given away on a "pay-what-you-think-its-worth" basis after the show. From my position in the hall, the money rolled in, the event having been publicised in Parish News, The Comet and on BBC Three Counties Radio, all having heard of the bold attempt to show a new approach to "Am-Dram". A large number of publicity cards were also delivered to Knebworth, Stevenage and Datchworth. Long gone are the days of drafty village halls with basic amenities. The Knebworth Players have a first-class set up offering a comfortable setting and a warm welcome to all, with a fully licensed bar and a cup of tea or coffee served at, and in, a Cup and Saucer.

Think your missing out? You are unless you check out the Knebworth Players in their next production in February when they perform Prescription for Murder - a thriller comedy... sounds to me just what the doctor ordered!

RoB Ward