The Mill at Sonning – until 12 April 2025
Reviewed by Marcia Spiers
4****
In these challenging times with dreary weather boot, it was great to watch an evening of comedy at which I laughed a lot. A true farce according to an early definition is “a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay, typically involving ludicrously improbable situations.” This lived up to all expectations in this regard.
Written by Ray Cooney and directed by Ron Aldridge, the story is set in 1992 in the Doctors Common Room of a London hospital. It was fabulous to see accomplished actors, Mill regulars and new talent in this play. The simple but effective set meant no scene changes and clever use of a window with a view and a ledge gave the stage depth.
Dr. David Mortimore (Stephen Pinder) is preparing to deliver a keynote address to a group of neurologists. His main aim being to impress his audience and Sir Willoughby Drake (Eric Carter) with the prospect of achieving greater things. He has been practising, and his wife Rosemary Mortimore (Rachel Fielding) is there to support him.
It is the arrival of Jane Tate (Natasha Gray), an ex-nurse at the hospital minutes before the event where things start to unravel. She has an 18-year-old son, Leslie (Francis Redfern) who has found out who his father is and wants to meet him. Naturally, the doctor wants to keep this revelation from his wife at all costs and assumes the role of a vicar. Queue (James Bradshaw) David’s colleague Dr. Hubert Bonney who somehow gets hoodwinked into the role much to Leslie’s excitement and Jane’s shock.
Add to the mix, Dr. Mike Connolly (Oscar Cleaver) who is running rehearsals for the hospital panto. Little does he know that he will be playing matron (Elizabeth Elvin) along with duplicate matrons following the real matron’s fall from the window and rescue, after an appropriately placed injection of sedative. The unfortunate Police Sergeant (Titus Rowe) sent to investigate the situation, cannot establish what is going on, at which he declares the place a madhouse. The equally mad Bill Leslie (Iain Stuart Robertson), an eccentric hospital patient, identified as Jane’s ex-husband or one of them despite the fact Jane has never been married to anyone, is very enthralled with Jane, his new room and refuses to leave. This contributes to the mayhem.
All the actors gave very credible performances. A particular mention must go to James Bradshaw who for me provided brilliant comic timing in multi guises (so funny), Elizabeth Elvin as Matron especially when under the influence of sedative and to Francis Redfern’s portrayal of a confused, angry young man desperate to know his father, the one serious point of this play.
There was so much going on it is difficult to cover it all, but it is well worth seeing if you are seeking a right good laugh and of course the Mill is lovely setting together with the new food arrangements. We had a great evening.