Tabard Theatre, Chiswick – until 21 June 2025
Reviewed by Phil Brown
4****
In an interesting adaptation of the One Man,Two Guvnors concept, how about one cast, one set – two plays. All for the price of one. And very well staged in one of the most delightful bijou pub theatres in London.
OnBook Theatre (Ian Nicholas and Jason Moore) maybe onto something exciting with this innovative production idea of a single governing theme common to two plays – in this case, behind the scenes frustration of the performing life, with some domestic strife on the side. Using a Noises Off style approach in both plays, the action explores what happens in the life of artists backstage in the dressing room, in settings that are around 90 years apart.
In truth, at around 30 minutes, the first play, Red Peppers, is more of a comic sketch, albeit one with an unfeasibly high entertainment value. Written and performed originally by Noël Coward along with Gertrude Lawrence in 1935, it’s about the fractious relationship between husband and wife team, George and Lily Pepper (superbly played by Jon Osbaldeston and Jessica Martin respectively) as they tour a fading music hall act, designed long ago by George’s father, across the country.
It starts with the Red Peppers dressed as sailors “on stage” dancing and singing the very funny “Has Anyone Seen Our Ship” as the concluding number of their first act stint, before switching quickly back stage where the recrimination, resentment and bitchiness begin. Despite considerable marital friction accumulated over years of working together, George and Lily manage to present a pugnacious united front in confronting critical comment from conductor Bert Bentley (Phillip Gill), headliner Mable Grace (a magisterial Emma Vansittart) and theatre manager Mr Edwards (Dominic McChesney). Overall, an all-round, hugely entertaining, fast paced and brilliantly performed 1930s slanging match. The play concludes with the Red Peppers back on stage in white tie and tails singing “Men About Town”.
Post interval, Aged in Wood, a new one act play written by Cian Griffin takes us back to the same dressing room, but now in the modern day. We see leading actor Deena Ames (Jessica Martin) in curlers reflecting on a very difficult opening night, a short while before going on stage again.
There is a different, less combative and more farcical tenor to the frustrations examined in Aged in Wood. It proceeds in a sequence of well structured two handed scenes – firstly Deena with Avis Runyon (Emma Vansittart channelling Joanne Lumley) her agent whose preposterous boosterism is absolutely delicious, summed up by “I love you Avis, but sometimes you’re full of shit. I’m an agent darling, I have to be”. Avis also flits in and out linking subsequent scenes with more killer punchlines.
Then we get 4 time Olivier award winner and aging Rufus Good (Philip Gill) who is unable to learn his lines, but lacking self awareness, accuses Deena of throwing his performance off by speaking her lines too quickly. Both actors combine beautifully to squeeze an impressive amount of comedic content from trying to speak the lines more slowly.
Enter Deena’s 21 years old fashion student son and party animal Quin Ames (perfectly pitched by Rhys Cannon), for the sort of inquisition that should instantly chime with most parents. “Boys like you do not live in Brixton…you belong in… Muswell Hill”. Their brilliantly written and highly amusing interaction inexorably spirals downhill with each of Deena’s maternal concerns, towards eventual exasperated protestations of control freakery.
Next up is an old acquaintance from a previous fictional musical, director Terry Dunne (an excellent Dominic Chesney). He is putting on a new West End musical with a part for Deena, surreally based on the diary of Anne Frank set during the Falklands war with some insanely inane details.
It’s a very busy dressing room as, right on Dunne’s coattails, Deena’s estranged husband, Henry Ames (masterfully played by Jon Osbaldeston), shows up to discuss their daughter moving in with him and his new girlfriend Cheryl along with divorce papers for signing. After some bitterness and biting repartee – “I can’t help if they get along so well. Of course they do, they’re the same age” – the exchange assumes a more serious tone as Deena and Henry’s sparring develops into an honest exchange of feelings, possibly for the first time. They succeed in reaching a mutual understanding. An insightful and poignant scene – well written and wonderfully acted.
Finally, we return to farce when Rufus Good re-enters with a solution to “our little problem”.
Every aspect of this two play production exudes classy professionalism. I particularly love the level of stimulation packed into only 90 minutes of showtime, thanks to the quality, precision, and richness of the writing. However, it is the beautifully wrought performances by the cast that elevate this show to a wonderful evening’s entertainment.
In particular, Jessica Martin, Jon Osbaldeston and Emma Vansittart are sensationally good.