Simon grew up in a poor Jewish area of the Bronx. Growing up in a broken and violent home, Neil found refuge in cinemas, hence his interest in comedy. Simon began writing comedy scripts for Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks and Phil Silvers’ ‘Sergeant Bilko Show’. There followed plays and books, most with strong autobiographical background. In 1991, he won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1991.

This Melville Theatre Company’s delightful production of ‘Barefoot in the Park’ can be seen at the Melville Theatre, on the corner of Stock Road and Canning Highway in Melville.

The hilarious 2 and a half hour performances are at 8.00 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until 17^th September. There is one matinée, at 2.00 pm on Sunday 11^th.

It is an open stage. The single room acts as the sitting room, dining room, kitchen and storage area. The set constructors (Paul Bray, Trevor Dhu, Rex Gray, Lloyd Hamer) have done well as the script requires a short staircase, pot belly stove, a skylight and a rain effect. When the play begins the flat is empty. There are the pale green walls, a set of stepladders and piles of dust sheets.

In the brief interval at the end of scene 1, the apartment furniture and props had to be installed. Considering the number of items to be moved, three-piece suite, tables, screen and props, the stage team were most speedy and efficient. Well done stage manager, Paul Bray, and his assistants, Trevor Dhu and Erin Gray.

Aaron Smith’s lighting design took us through the various weather patterns and time of day. The lighting was smoothly operated by Vanessa Gudgeon, who also controlled the sound – with accurate sync on phones and light switches.

       After her 6-day honeymoon in a luxury hotel, the passionate, free-spirited new bride Corie (Georgina Hamer) is still filled with romance and so excited about starting a new life in their New York, tiny 5th-floor rundown apartment. There is no lift – just a never ending staircase. Her boring husband, solicitor Paul Bratter (John Gray) trusted Corie to take out the lease, and has yet to see the minute bedsit.

     The door buzzer goes; it is the telephone installation man. After a few minutes, this tall, heavy-set man, Harry Pepper (Paul Bray) staggers through the front door. Another victim of the 5 flights of stairs. He is soon followed by another wheezing delivery man (Trevor Dhu), with a wedding gift from a relative.

     The first telephone call comes from Corie’s widowed mother, Mrs. Ethel Banks (Sharon Menzies) who wishes to call around, see the flat and offer some ‘smotherly’ love. When the eccentric, randy neighbour, Victor Velasco (Rex Gray) who lives in the attic upstairs pops in, Corie thinks that perhaps he would be ideal for her lonely mother. However, the special meal for four turns out to be a nightmare for everyone. Adjusting to married life isn’t so easy!

Director, Trevor Dhu, has squeezed every ounce of humour from this play script. The cast had great chemistry. Georgina was excellent as the besotted, fawning wife, and John wonderful as the boring, straight-laced husband. Sharon was great as the mother-in-law that we all dread getting. Rex was at his best as a wonderful aging letch, who thinks that he is still the Casanova of his youth. The two amusing cameos, Paul and Trevor warmed the audience up on the cold night. There was very good pace, plenty of movement and slick delivery of the lines, and yet at times I found myself the only one laughing aloud. Dare I suggest the audience had a problem?

In the ecstasy of her marriage, Georgina performed a short ballet routine that was choreographed by Trevor and Georgina, both of who are professional dancers. This added an original and pleasant touch.

At 50, the play is slightly showing its age. There are a couple of comments that are now politically incorrect, but neither of these points detract from the story, and it has retained its humour well.

This was a full house, so don’t rely upon tickets at the door. Congrats to all.

This Australian Premiere is about an ‘imagined likely’ meeting between the soft, apprehensive, Benjamin Britten and the brash, outspoken Wystan H. Auden; two geniuses of the Arts, but very different characters.

Britten was a wonderful musician and composer, possibly England’s best of the 20^th century, being most famous for his 14 operas including ‘Peter Grimes’ and ‘Billy Budd’. Only months after becoming a Life Peer and Baron, Britten died aged 63, of a ‘heart attack’ which was in fact due to advanced syphilis contracted from his male partner, Peter Pears.

Auden’s friend, Isherwood, told him about Erika, the daughter of the Nobel winning German novelist, Thomas Mann – writer of ‘Death in Venice. In 1935, Erika’s sexy burlesque performances were considered obscene by the Nazis, and so she was desperate to escape from Germany, marry an Englishman and thus obtain a British passport. Auden obliged, but in doing so he did not consummate this marriage of convenience as he already had a partner – Chester Kallman.  Incidentally, another of Auden’s partners was Stephen Spender, the father of Barry Humphries’ (Dame Edna) wife.

This two and a quarter hour ADULT ‘play within a play’ can be seen at the Old Mill Theatre, on the corner of Mends Street and Mill Point Road in South Perth (opposite Windsor Hotel). Performances start at 8.00 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday until 23rd April. The Sunday matinees are at 2.00 pm.

The scene is the present day in a rehearsal room of the National Theatre in London. There are no flats or scenery, other than a free standing door, representing the ‘door’ of Auden’s Oxford College flat.

At the rear of the stage are a grand and an upright piano. Anthony Howes’ set design has been constructed by Sarah Christiner and Phil Barnett – or perhaps deconstructed is more appropriate – as props (Justin Freind) are littered everywhere in this shambolic lecturer’s room. Stage managed by Dale James.

The variety of 1975 costumes were supplied by Jenny Prosser.

        To the side of the proscenium arch sit the play’s stage manager, Kay (Sally Barendse) with her ASM and prompt, George (Paul Bray). They announce to the cast that their director has been detained and they are going to step in and supervise the day’s rehearsal of ‘Caliban’s Day’. This play, built around a theme in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’, is the work of dithering author, Neil (Brendan Ellis) who on arrival at the theatre finds that chunks have been removed from his writings.

        Donald (Barry Park) is the tense actor who is playing Humphrey Carpenter, a writer who is in the midst of writing Auden’s biography and is about to start Britten’s. Humphrey moves to the front of the stage and sets the scene.

        Seated at a table loaded with books is Fitz (Dene Irvin), the actor playing Wystan Auden. Auden, who is a fanatic for punctuality, is awaiting the arrival of Stuart (Cal Silberstein), a rent boy he has ordered for a particular service. (Warning, this service is described in great detail in the play). Throughout the play that is under rehearsal, the actors of Auden and Britten regularly request help from George the prompt (these prompts are in the script).

       The scene then moves to another area of the stage, where Benjamin Britten (Justin Freind) is auditioning for one of his operas, young choristers (alternating nights – Brandon Orgill, Matthew Han, Surjo Mazhar Sahid) who are under the supervision of their chaperone (Dale James) sing for him.

       After thirty years the two friends meet. By now Britten is a pathetic broken and insecure man, Auden? Well, he is just more abrasive and vulgar.

Perth born director, Anthony Howes, has been recognised as a major contributor to the theatrical arts in Australia, being awarded most of the major national theatrical awards. His productions have been seen in Australia, the UK (at the Royal Opera House and Sadler’s Wells Theatre), Canada, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam and Thailand.

Howes has also directed for the ABC in radio and television, and he helped found the Midnite Youth Theatre Company, where he was artistic director for 25 years.

The lighting (designed by John Woolrych) had a most effective closing scene. The operator for both the sound and lighting was Sarah Christiner.

The cast gave outstanding and sympathetic performances, there was genuine depth to the personalities. The dialogue was perfectly paced, which considering the complexity of the script, working on two or three levels, it passed seamlessly between locations. There was an expectation that the audience would know the people referred to, this meant the need for an especially careful delivery.

Don’t expect a comedy like the ‘The Lady in the Van’; don’t expect the play within a play to be like that in Á Midsummer Night’s Dream’. You will find it hard to find better acting, directing and scriptwriting, as this is advanced quality theatre. The audience will be divided – black and white, with no shades of grey – you will love it or loathe it. I would like to see it again and really get a better understanding of the multifaceted personalities. It is certainly worth seeing. You will admire it on many levels, but you may not like it.