Don't Dress For Dinner

Review by: Paul Towers, 23 January 2017

Don’t Dress For Dinner by Marc Camoletti, adapted by Robin Hawdon

Leicester Drama Society Production directed by David Kimmins

The Little Theatre 23-28 January 2017

“a traditional farce of mistaken identities”

Don’t Dress For Dinner is a traditional farce of mistaken identities and multiple door openings involving a couple who are both having affairs and circumstances conspiring to have them all staying in the same house at the same time.

As deceits pile on lies and people pretend to be other people the laughter builds as each twist adds further confusion. As with the best farces people go on and off stage as pratt falls follow spilt drinks until the final denouement when all is resolved.

A tight cast of just six work well together on a nice spacious set of doors, stairs and comfy furniture. Rick Lamoure and Rachel Draper as Bernard and Jaqueline, the straying married couple portray a great sense of duplicity as they attempt to cover up their adultery. The friend Robert, Bernard’s bestie and Jaqueline’s bit on the side, is nicely confused and ever more neurotic as played by Trevor Butlin. As the cook, Suzannne, Marie Di Rito reminds me of  Jane Horrocks as she gradually gets drunk while Emma Bamford as Suzette, Bernard’s paramour, oozes sex appeal as she slinks in the front door. The final cast member is George, Suzanne’s husband, played by Graham Muir. A small part but vital for some final laughs as the play ends.

This is fairly standard LCS fare, well performed, pretty unlikely to upset anyone and leaves you with a warm chuckle to see you home.

I do wonder if, as the play was originally written in French with a European sensibility about infidelity, whether it would have worked even better played with French accents.

Don’t Dress For Dinner is at The Little Theatre until Saturday 28^th January 2017

http://www.thelittletheatre.net/

First published on Western Gazette