by Tahrea Maynard
Bread and Circus Theatre Company opens this weekend with the comedic Right Ho, Jeeves! Director Howard Carpenter adapted and directed this world premiere play based on the Jeeves and Wooster stories written by P.G. Wodehouse. Right Ho, Jeeves! takes place in Brinkley Court, Near Market Snodsbury, England, in the 1920s, where scatterbrained and rich Bertie Wooster (Tim Fisher), along with family and friends find themselves tossed and turned in their own troubles, always turning to Wooster’s quick witted and ingenious valet Jeeves (Doug Montanero) to save the day.
As a newcomer to the BCTCO stage, Fisher does well as Wooster, using physical comedy and facial expressions to convey Wooster’s frequent confusion and surprise. Montanero’s Jeeves is a wonderful juxtaposition to Fisher’s Wooster. Montanero carries himself with a calm and decisive manner each time he walks on stage which adds to the character of well-respected Jeeves. Adding further dimension to production are the ancillary characters of Wooster’s Aunt Dahlia and Uncle Tom, ably played by the talented Mollie Burgo and Keith Maloney. Audience members are sure to smile throughout the production as the show opens and is interspersed with several songs of British Patriotism, sung by an adorable trio of schoolchildren (Sydney Friend, Ellen Buts, and Erin Butts).
Most of the action takes place in the parlor of Brinkley Court, which takes up most of the performance space, and the outside Garden. Carpenter and Assistant Director Aynn Kilburger Titchenal’s design is realistic and certainly helps to transport the audience into the room/garden as each of the characters resolve their various conflicts.
The script, though fast-paced, cheerful and funny, would benefit from a little editorial cutting, a common issue with new adaptations. With such great source material, Carpenter seems reluctant to trim anything. The run time of two and a half hours may feel a bit long, though, and may have some patrons checking their watches near the end of the action. All in all, Jeeves offers a fun night of theatre and is definitely worth braving a sore keister to see.
Right Ho, Jeeves! Opens on September 18th , continuing on the 19th,25th, and 26th at 8pm, and September 20 at 2:30pm. Tickets are $15 for Adults and $12 for Students and Seniors. For more information, call 614-470-4895 or visit www.bctco.org. BCTCO performs in the Harmony Artistic Center, 3979 Parkway Lane in Hilliard.
*****
Tahrea Maynard has spent the majority of her life onstage, appearing on stages with such Central Ohio theatres as Roundtown Players and Rosebriar Shakespeare Co. She also teaches Musical Theatre classes with the Charmion Performing Arts Center in Circleville. Check out her blog here.
October 3rd, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I attended both Friday night performances, and thought this was an amazing piece of character humor! It’s the first one I’ve seen using the huge “wall” prop to delineate between indoor and outdoor scenes, which worked flawlessly. I fear it may not translate well to video, made for the fans across the Pond, as the camera was set up on the opposite end of the stage from the wall.
The dialogue flowed much better the second Friday evening, as might be expected. I don’t see how Mr. Carpenter could have cut more. Having never read Wodehouse myself, the sub-plots hung together by a thread and the major plot had just enough stage time to be easily followed.
Thanks to whoever provided the gourmet coffee in the lobby, during the intermissions.
HAC is a great place to browse, making the breaks feel too short!