THIS month at the Warehouse Theatre, Scott Waldie joins Leanne Taylor in co directing, what will almost certainly be his last play, and what will hopefully be her first of many.
The production marks the happy partnership between amused appreciative Ilminster audiences, and that “Master” of entertainment, Noel Coward, as it is the fourth of Noel’s plays to have appeared at the Warehouse in less than a decade.
The plot of Present Laughter depicts a few days in the life of the successful and self-obsessed light comedy actor, Garry Essendine as he prepares to travel for a touring commitment in Africa.
Amid a series of events bordering on farce, Garry has to deal with women who want to seduce him, placate both his long-suffering secretary and his wife, cope with a crazed young playwright, and overcome his impending mid-life crisis.
The character is a caricature of the author’s real-life persona, as Noel readily acknowledged.
Like the Directors, the cast is a subtle blend of the old and experienced and the up and coming, with the interesting infusion of Maat Ward from Taunton in the lead role.
You don’t have to be nostalgic for the 1940’s to enjoy this comedy. Noel’s wit is as poignant today as it was nearly eighty years ago.
It run from June 26 until June 29. Tickets available online at www.thewarehousetheatre.org.uk
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