This play is based on the most famous of Carlo Goldoni’s works, ‘A Servant of Two Masters’, written in the 1740s. ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ went on to win the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award in 2011, then Best New Play in the Evening Standard Awards also in 2011.

The Melville Theatre Company is presenting this hilarious, madcap two-hour play, and it can be seen nightly until Saturday 10th December, at the Melville Theatre, on the corner of Stock Road and Canning Highway in Melville.

The time is 1963, in Brighton on the south coast of England. The main scene is the sitting room of Charlie’s house, but with the movement of the odd flat, it was transformed into the dining room of the local hostelry. The set construction was led by Ross Bertinshaw, who was aided by Don Callison, along with Lars and Jacob Jensen. The whole cast ‘mucked in’ with the painting of the set.

There were several involved scene changes, but stage manager, Garry Davies assisted by Ross Bertinshaw and Jeff Hansen were quick and efficient. The lighting design could have been simple, but designer Lars Jensen had some nice extra touches. Vanessa Jensen operated the lighting and sound desks.

         Thanks to the skills of bent solicitor, Harry Dangle (Peter Neaves), cockney criminal, Charlie Clench (Kim Taylor) has been released from prison – yet again. Now his Jamaican minder, Lloyd (Amri Mrisho), is guarding him.

         In Charlie’s house, there is an engagement party. Charlie’s beautiful but brainless daughter, Pauline (Pip Tompson) was in love with Rosko, but he was discovered murdered by Stanley (Sean Bullock). So Pauline has found a new love, and is about to marry the solicitor’s son, the ham actor and drama queen, Alan Dangle (Lachlan Stewart).

         The doorbell rings and a rotund character, Francis Henshall (Chris Bedding) enters. He is Harry’s odd job man, whose appetite for food is insatiable. Francis spots Charlie’s secretary, Dolly (Victoria Dixon) and immediately there is a love bond. As the party progresses, the dead boyfriend, Rosko arrives – it is in fact his twin sister, Rachel (Sarah Christiner) dressed in Rosko’s suit.

       The group move by taxi, (driver Jeff Hansen) to a private room in the local pub. On the way, they encounter a nervous old lady (Michelle Sharp) and are chased by a policeman (Ross Bertinshaw). At the venue, smart waiter, Gareth (Warren McGrath) and his ancient, accident-prone assistant, Alfie (Don Callison), are serving cordon bleu food for the celebration. The barman (Garry Davies) tries to deal with the demand for drinks.

       Will love blossom? Will anyone ever get married?

The soft background music was arranged and played by Josiah Pad. The costumes, and there were a few unusual ones, were crafted by Michelle Sharp who was assisted by Barbara Lovell.

With Francis’s demand for food, Cally Zanik was kept busy with the preparation of multiple courses for the dining scene.

The play is refreshingly different. It is a blend of farce, slapstick, pantomime and is partly in the style of a series of plays (‘The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate‘) which I cannot stand. With the actors playing straight to the audience, and even becoming slightly involved with them, this was a new kind of humour.

Director, Vanessa Jensen was so lucky in getting Chris Bedding to play the part of Francis. Chris, who is a man of the cloth – no, he is not a window cleaner – specialises in impromptu comedy, where the comedians have to think rapidly as events unfold. He was magnificent in this play, and had all of the body actions. He carried the show. A good comedian often requires a good ‘feed’ man, and the rest of the cast all excelled with their lines and timing. Could Chris be nominated for next year’s Finleys?

There were numerous styles of dialogue for the very different interesting characters; for Pauline she was superb as the dumb daughter, and then there was Rachel who had to deliver a lengthy explanation, in medical terms, of her zygotic structure – hilarious. Poor Alfie must have to lie down for a few hours after every performance.

This show was one constant belly laugh from beginning to end.

The word went rapidly around as to how extremely funny this play is. Every house has been fully booked, and with the demand is still being there, I wish there was another week.

This very funny, adult play has bawdy and strong language. It was revived in July 2008 at the Duke of York’s Theatre, and starred Chris O’Dowd, Catherine Tate and Francesca Annis.

This very entertaining production consists of three, half-hour plays (no interval) and is being presented by the Melville Theatre Company at the Melville Theatre, on the corner of Stock Road and Canning Highway in Melville. The performances start at 8.00 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until 23^rd July. There is one matinée on Sunday 17^th July at 2.00 pm.

The scenery is a very effective, crisscross arrangement of white muslin hangings against a black drape background. Designer, Susan Lynch has then added minimal furniture, just enough to establish the location. Stage manager Victoria Dixon and assistant Roy Sainsbury had a wonderful team who moved in rapidly and changed a kitchen to a bedroom in just a few seconds.

Lars Jensen’s lighting design had the usual floods, but employed new strip LEDs at the foot of the hangings, this helped them change colour simply and successfully. Great effect, with well selected colours for the action in each Act. Lighting and sound smoothly operated by Vici Richardson.

Act 1 – an apartment near the London docks, Feb 1996.

       Disinterested schoolteacher, Nick (Sean Bullock) has invited his warm, loving girlfriend, Helen (Georgina Kling – a solid, emotional performance) back to his flat for the first time in their year long, unrequited relationship.

     Nick has prepared a delicious meal and is about to make his important announcement.

Act 2 – Graham’s bedroom, Essex May 1997

        Shy, school laboratory technician, virginal Graham (Zac Bennett-McPhee) has managed to lure sexy schoolmistress, Michelle (Petrina Harley – the ultimate slut) to his bedroom.

       Could this be the answer to all of his dreams and even marriage?

Act 3 – Anne’s patio in Devon, August 1998

        In her late middle age and now retired, Anne (Joy Northover) is serving drinks to a visitor; an ex-work colleague, youngish Robert (Garry Davies) has travelled from north east of London to see his secret cougar, Anne, and share with her gossip of their old work friends.

Three very different tales, one intense, one light-hearted and the last, plain deep affection are an impressive collection for an enjoyable evening’s entertainment. The characters are well written and skilfully interpreted – from deep love to pure lust.

Director Susan Lynch can always be relied upon to give the audience quality and value for money. This is the type of play that can be watched and enjoyed on a basic level, or by reading between the lines, a much richer story can be discovered.

It was well worth leaving the warmth of home, on the foul night I saw it.

Living in Chile as a cultural adviser to President Salvador Allende, he left the night before the Pinochet coup. He has been a university professor of literature in North Carolina, since 1985 and became an American citizen in 2004.

The Melville Theatre Company is performing this chilling drama – which Roman Polanski made into a film in 1994 – at the Melville Theatre, on the corner of Stock Road and Canning Highway, in Melville.

This two-hour play can be seen at 8.00 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings until the 21^st May. There is also a Sunday matinee on 15^th May at 2.00 pm.

 ‘Death and the Maiden’, is a nick name for the classic chamber music (used in the play) about the terror and comfort of death, namely the ‘String Quartet No. 14 in D minor’, written by Franz Schubert 1824, when he was 27 years old – only three years before he died of tertiary syphilis.

      The Maiden: ‘Oh! leave me! Prithee, leave me! thou grisly man of bone! For life is sweet, is pleasant. Go! Leave me now alone! Go! Leave me now alone!’

      Death: ‘Give me thy hand, oh! maiden fair to see. For I’m a friend, hath ne’er distress’d thee. Take courage now, and very soon, within mine arms shalt softly rest thee!’

The scene is beach house, about 1980, in an unspecified post-dictatorship country (generally assumed to be Chile).

The stage has a third as the outside balcony festooned with Chinese lanterns, and facing the sea. The remainder is a bright white dining / sitting room, entered through patio doors. A bamboo curtain at the rear leads to the main bedroom, another curtain leads to the kitchen and spare room. The décor is international ethnic.

The scenery was designed and constructed by Jacob, Lars and Vanessa Jensen, and painted by Kit Leake and Barbara Lovell. The costumes were by Nicola Gredziuk. High quality, realistic soundscape by Lars and operator Sean Bullock.

       It is late evening, and Paulina Escobar (Kayti Murphy) is relaxing on the veranda listening to the waves crashing in the bay. As a car drives up the road to the isolated house, Paulina rushes into the sitting room and takes a gun from a drawer. To her relief, it is only her lawyer husband, Gerardo (Nick Kadmos).

      On his way home from a Cabinet Meeting, where he has been offered a major post, his car has had a puncture. He then found the spare tyre was also flat. Luckily a medic, Dr. Miranda (Alan Kennedy) was passing and helped Gerado get home.

       As Paulina’s husband talked to the doctor over a drink. With horror, Paulina couldn’t help thinking that she recognised the doctor from her days as an anatomy student in the university.

Director Lars Jensen has been most fortunate in getting three such superb actors. Alan Kennedy seems to be nominated for an award for almost every show in which he performs. It is only months since one of Kayti’s dramas won best production. Nick has only recently returned to Perth, but he too has a well proven track record.

The script is demanding, it needs a director that can handle the storyline with conviction and yet sensitivity, which Lars has achieved impeccably. The power, suspense and pure electricity that this team built up was amazing. There were passages of pure chill, along with someone torn between love and justice, and the GP simply helping a man in distress only to face danger.

The story leaves one in no doubt what happened in the dictatorship, but the story is more of a mystery than a history lesson. A powerful topic given first class treatment by Community Theatre’s best. Highly recommended.

Sadly, Nora recently died aged 71, of acute myeloid leukaemia.

This series of brief monologues is being presented by the Melville Theatre Company, at the Melville Theatre on the corner of Stock Highway and Canning Highway, Melville. This production can be seen at 8.00 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings until 19^th September. There is one matinee at 2.00 pm on Sunday 13^th September.

The attractive set, comprised four, open, wardrobe units, with colourful hatboxes on a shelf above. The garments hanging on the racks were in groups of mauve, red, green and burgundy (décor by Barbara Lovell, Kit Leake). At the side of the stage apron, was an office set – thanks to Peter Bloor, Ross Bertinshaw, Susan Lynch, Jacob, Lars and Vanessa Jensen.

The lighting and sound (Lars Jensen) were well designed and operated, with some clever touches to create the correct mood. At one point the luminescence even matched the script dialogue – electric blue.

       The narrator, Gingy (Joy Northover) sits at the side of the stage with an easel of beautiful artistically drawn fashion cards (superb, but no credit in programme) that remind her of her lifetime of outfits. Some getups bring warm memories, whilst others make her cringe. The garments recall three marriages, along with various tragedies. Her lifespan of clothes begins with a Brownies uniform and extends through many eras of her life.

     With four women (Cassandra Gorman, Petrina Harley, Sue Lynch and Kayti Murphy) dressed in black, playing numerous characters, we hear of parents’ inability to choose trendy clothes – preferring ‘sensible’, the first bra, to the little black number for the school ball.

     Then there are the magical materials of the day, healthy woollen outfits knitted by Grandma, sugared cotton dresses through to Spandex. Then there are those beautiful leather boots, and the matching accessories.

      We learn how many lovers lost to the wrong choice of clothing.

Vanessa Jensen is one of Perth’s most respected directors, so not surprisingly the direction of this show was slick and beautifully paced. When friends are relating an event, there is always one who can really keep you open-eyed and anticipating the next part of the story; Vanessa has her whole cast doing this. The actors’ faces and bodies illuminated their deepest inner thoughts. In short, two or 3-minute episodes for dozens of topics are examined in this lifetime capsule of clothing; most episodes have the audience laughing aloud.

At first glances, this looks like a ‘chick play’, and certainly, the ladies in the audience in their own daily lives, will have experienced most of the observations. However, the men were laughing just as much, as they saw their partners portrayed on the stage.

The style of this show reminded me of ‘The Vagina Monologues’, but on a much lighter level.

When the whole audience leaves the theatre with a broad smile, then you know the show is a hit.

Great fun, from a strong cast working perfectly as a team.

Shaffer was born in Liverpool in the mid-1920s; despite being Jewish, he went to school at St Paul’s School in London. To replace the miners who had gone to war, Shaffer was conscripted into the coalmines by the Minister of Labour, Ernest Bevan – a Bevan Boy. After the war, he went to live in New York where he started writing. He returned to the UK and became a professor at Oxford, and was then knighted in 2001.

The Melville Theatre Company is presenting this bold and emotive play at the Melville Theatre, on the corner of Stock Highway and Canning Highway in Melville. The two and a quarter hour play has ‘curtain up’ at 8.00 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until 23^rd May, with a 2.00 pm matinee Sunday 17^th May.

The scene is 1970 Winchester, in the south of England. The open stage shows a magnificent stable with wooden plank walls, and a central horse stall. The roof of the stable is made of 10 cms wood strips with equal spaces between, giving the effect of a complete ceiling but allowing dappled light to flow through. The Jensen family, Jay Shaw, Sean and John Bullock, Jeff Hansen, Peter Bloor, Ross Bertinshaw, Alan Kennedy, and Darren Goodison, constructed this realistic set.

The horses’ heads hang on the wall. Wooden benches are all around the stable, allowing it to become a hospital waiting room and cinema; the cast are seated on these benches throughout the whole production. At the side of the stage, on the apron, to the left is a hospital wardroom, to the right Dr Dysart’s well-furnished consulting room.

Nicola Gredzuik’s horses’ heads are stunning, and even seem to have a personality. Nicola has constructed them using her immense knowledge of millinery. She also chose the costumes of the era, wonderful flared trousers and pleated skirts.

        Martin Dysart (Alan Kennedy) is a weary and lonely hospital psychiatrist, who has become bored dealing with hopeless cases that have no desire to be helped. He is counting the days until he retires and can go to Greece to research the Hellenic history. Dysart begins with a monologue outlining the case of 17-year-old Alan Strang (Oliver Kaiser), and how in doing horrendous deeds, the youth found release from the monotony of his work. We then flash back a year or two.

       Hesther Saloman (Jay Shaw) is the local Magistrate, given the ominous job of dealing with an attack on six horses. She calls at the hospital to see her old psychiatrist friend, Dr Dysart, to have him interview the strange boy who carried out the act.

       The nurse (Sean Bullock) leads the withdrawn and silent boy to Dysart’s consulting room. In the beginning, Alan’s only response to the psychiatrist’s questions was to sing TV jingles and give a cold stare. As a result of this disturbing consultation, that night Dysart had a gruesome dream.

      Next day, when Alan’s parents arrive at the hospital, Dysart hopes to find clarity, only to discover that Strang’s Bible-thumping mother, Dora Strang (Lauren Henderson), is a trained teacher who reads the good book to Alan daily. His father, Frank (Cary Hudson), who is a local printer, is so irritated by the mother that he so preaches atheism to his son.

       Dysart guesses that truthfulness is probably the best approach for this confused youth. He then learns from the young man, how the oppressive father has unknowingly created links between anger, violence and religion in his son’s mind.

       Whilst working in an electrical shop, Alan serves Jill Mason (Elouise Eftos), a young woman that seems to have everything he has not – freedom, vivacity and happiness. When she asks to buy horse clippers, Alan tells her of his equine interest and so she suggests that he applies for a groom’s job at Harry Dalton’s stables where she works. Having no real friends, Alan begins to show a sexual attraction to the horses with their sweaty, muscular bodies. One horse in particular, Nugget (Michael Fagan) which Alan calls ‘Equus’, is his equine God that he rides in his fantasies to kill his enemies.

        Later, when Dr Dysart meets the stable owner (Darren Goodison), he is told that Alan was a great worker who kept the stables immaculate.

       During a consultation, Dysart discovers that Jill had asked Alan to take her to see a porno film at the local cinema, and this is when most of the troubles began.

Rhonda Beresford, Nicola Gredzuik, Kate Hitchins, Helen Jackson and Abbey McCaughan played the horses and ensemble. With their enactment, they brought genuine horror with the attack scene and a broad smile with the cinema snippet.

Lars Jensen is a brave man to tackle such a controversial play, but this he does with aplomb. I have seen the film and two other stage versions of this play, and in all cases, a great deal of emphasis has gone into the grandeur of the production, and promoting the nude scenes.

Lars has given this production the ‘common’ touch, both to the characters in the play and the stable set, most authentic – not the spectacular sets seen elsewhere. You can readily connect to each and every character. Even though Alan is weird, the direction is so sensitive and Oliver’s acting so outstanding, that the storyline is extremely easy to follow. The parents are peculiar, but you can certainly feel for the family’s plight. The doctor / patient relationship is powerful and tangible, congrats also go to Alan Kennedy.

In this production, gone are the two famous nude scenes. Alan rides Nugget fully clothed, but with Lars’ wonderful direction, coupled with his superb lighting and sound effects the audience are left in no doubt as to the erotic relationship between horse and rider. Then the shocking love scene; now the couple are wearing underwear, but once again the atmosphere is electric, with the overall effect being one of exhilaration.

Even without any nudity, this is definitely an adult play. Beautifully acted and presented. A powerful and admirable production, a treat for those who enjoy a quality, award-winning script. Highly recommended – drama at its very best.