Review - Look Who’s Talking: laughs and giggles

Look Who’s Talking

By Derek Benfield

Directed by Terry Frawley

Act 1 Theatre

Strathpine

Season: March 8 – March 23. Bookings: 0458 519 269

This play reminds us that too much alcohol, when out on a social “drink” with a friend or on staff gathering, can have rather interesting follow-on effects. Of course, such effects are taken to extreme in this comedy/ farce.

Set in modern London, Sheila is preparing Sunday lunch when Brian arrives with flowers for her after their having met when she was socializing with her friend Jane. She cannot remember what happened although he believes there is more to come.

Husband, Andrew, enters from the garden and welcomes Brian even though the lies and cover-up have begun. The solicitor Brian is trusting and open until Carole arrives with suitcase in hand ready to travel to Italy with him.

Ah the staff party drinks.

Finally, friend Jane arrives to complete, and add to, the web of lies. Nothing like that ever happened to me with social drinking or, maybe, I can’t remember either.

The set design was very good and made full use of this spacious stage and in a manner to reflect the home of a solicitor and his wife. It allowed for a free flow of action as is essential in a comedy – farce.

Director Terry Frawley, who helped design the set, cast well for the age of the characters but he did not always get the variation needed for the play. The production could do with more pace and energy.

It really came more to life with the arrival of Carole, the secretary who came to travel with her boss, Andrew. Kimberley Wood was the flirtatious, sexy character that the role demanded. Anne Olsson as friend Jane also had bounce.

Wendy Kemp and Pat O’Callaghan, as the central, deceiving, non – remembering, lying home owners needed more pace and variation at times. In the difficult role of Brian, the unexpected guest, Mark Anthony was strong and forcefully believable but more subtlety, particularly in voice, would make the character even more fascinating.

I had my laughs and giggles during the play but did not get to think “What the heck” as it led me through the lies and the loss of memory by all the characters. Was it really a loss of memory?