Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – until 26 October 2019
Reviewed by Ian K Johnson
3***
This classic Alan Ayckbourn comedy Ten Times Table written in 1977 is the inaugural production of The Classic Comedy theatre company produced by Bill Kenwright and his team.
This production has a cast which includes an array of television celebrities includes Ray (Robert Daws – The Royal, Outside Edge), Donald (Mark Curry – Blue Peter, Junior Showtime), Mrs Evans (Elizabeth Power – Eastenders), Helen (Deborah Grant – Bread, Not Going Out, Bergerac), Sophie (Gemma Oaten – Emmerdale), Eric (Craig Gazey – Coronation St), Laurence (Robert Duncan – Drop the Dead Donkey) with Tim (Harry Gostelow) and Philippa (Rhiannon Handy) completing the cast.
Committees come and go but committees like the one formed for the Pendon Folk Festival are seen far and wide. The organiser Ray, willing to become the chairman, his dogmatic wife Helen with her own bone to contend with. The quiet school teacher Eric, who becomes such a Marxist fighting for his cause, the local business woman Sophie, who’s had her share of difficulties with men but still willing to please. Involve a local councillor, Donald and his ageing mother Mrs Evans, he’s a professional committee member and shes a retired teacher of piano but still tries to keep her hand in.
Sheffield Lyceum theatre is suitably transformed into the faded 3 star ballroom of the Swan hotel. In its heyday it was the place to be seen, not any more but still an ideal place to hold committee meetings of this sort. All banded together around a large table and various chairs to arrange the forthcoming Pendon Festival/pageant for local celebrant ‘John Cockle’.
This is an excellent production which certainly shows its audience that the Olivier Award winning playwright has once again captured such dark humour which shares and resonates with today’s current political climate.
Ayckbourn has always been a pure genius at seeing ordinary people in everyday/ordinary situations. This is no exception and the cast capture Ayckbourn’s satire with every line spoken.
Special mention has to be given to Mrs Evans (Elizabeth Power) who hasn’t many lines but steals the scenes in which she delivers with perfection.
Eric (Craig Gazey), Helen (Deborah Grant) and Donald (Mark Curry) all shine in the build up to the pageant and come the second half Tim (Harry Gostelow) certainly comes into his own as the robust army officer.
Any slight niggle with the piece would be that the meek and mild Philippa (Rhiannon Handy) was too meek, so much so I couldn’t hear a word she said.
Also at over 90 minutes long I felt the first half was a little too long.
This production is on tour until December.