The Mill at Sonning – until 23rd September 2023
Reviewed by Marcia Spiers
4****
This play was first performed in 1970 and focuses on three couples whose lives are entwined as the men all work for the same company. An opening song by David Cassidy really took me back to that time – pure nostalgia!
The clever set saw two of the couples in what looked like the same house but amazingly they seem to avoid each other. At the end of the first act there were two dinner parties going on at the same time and both descended into chaos. The physical comedy was very well staged and kept me laughing.
Stuart Fox gave a standout performance in his portrayal of the somewhat forgetful Frank Foster who suspected his wife was up to no good. Julia Hills played the elegant but flighty Fiona Foster in wonderful outfits of the time. Ruth Gibson proved to be no pushover as the feisty Teresa Phillips whose husband Bob (Damien Matthews) was quite the typical chauvinist male of the 1970s era. Ben Porter played the dull but quite controlling William Featherstone whose mousey wife Mary (Emily Pithon) ended up getting accused of having an affair despite being the least likely candidate.
A great evening’s entertainment with lots of laughs and as a woman you can truly reflect on how things have moved on since the 1970s or not!
The Mill at Sonning is a lovely setting for an evening at the theatre as there is the opportunity for dinner before the performance in the lovely oak beamed restaurant.