What Exit Theatre

Reviews

The Joy of Christmas Has Arrived for Jersey Theatergoers -Bob Rendell Talkin' Broadway

Maplewood’s What Exit? Theatre Company, which specializes in producing comedies, displays an appropriate sense of humor in the selection of its Christmas presentation. It is the American premiere of the 2002 London farce The Lying Kind by Anthony Neilson. The time is Christmas Eve and two bumbling English bobbies have arrived at the front door of the Connor home to inform the couple inside that their 34 year old daughter Carol has just been killed in an auto accident.

Despite the premise, this is not Joe Orton territory. Author Neilson and company keep it light throughout the course of this lengthy farce, and they do manage to increase the quotient of fun in the second act. There is a bit of scatology here and there and the kind of “ooh, isn’t this naughty?” humor that British audiences find titillating.

Neilson is pretty sloppy about providing the internal logic which makes for quality farce. When early on, Gronya, the dominatrix from the local PAPS (Parents against Pedophile Scum), manhandles the bobbies, there is no logical basis for their permitting this. Later, someone seated behind me whispered, “Why are they hiding the body?” If required, I would not have been able to answer her question. Therefore, unless you are predisposed to enjoy a low brow farce, this play will increase your disdain for the form.

However, for those of us who enjoy farce, The Lying Kind offers a rare and enjoyable opportunity to see a new full-bore British farce. Where else have we had this opportunity in recent memory? It is really refreshing to see a modern day farce that isn’t Noises Off. It has been a long time since Ray Cooney has been in residence at Paper Mill, or since a classic farce has had a major revival in the metropolitan area. Would you not drink some palatable New York State bubbly if real Champagne were not available?

The feisty little What Exit? Theatre Company is certainly not lacking in bravery. There is nothing more demanding than farce, and, while the performance could be crisper, under the guidance of director Bell Wesel the entire cast is game and admirable. Bev Sheehan is properly scary as the PAPS scold. Ames Adamson and Steve Ahern are amusing as the dumb and dumber bobbies. Noreen Farley is very good as the batty Mrs. Connor.

Best of all is the set design of Fred Kinney. The house in question slopes down precipitously to the right on top of a sidewalk which slopes precipitously down to the left. It is detailed and its clashing wallpapers match the ditziness of its owners and all of the evenings intruders who keep us reasonably well amused.
The Lying Kind continues through December 21 at the What Exit? Theatre Company at the Burgdorff Cultural Center, 10 Durand Rd., Maplewood, NJ 07040. Box Office: 973-763-4029

The Lying Kind by Anthony Neilson; directed by Bell Wesel. Cast: Steve Ahern (Blunt); Ames Adamson (Gobbel); Bev Sheehan (Gronya); Noreen Farley (Garson); Burt Edwards (Balthazar); Rick Delaney (Reverend Shandy); Marly Bewighouse (Carol). - Bob Rendell

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