LOOT AT THE MASQUERS IS A LAUGH ALOUD RIOT
(Photo left
Mr. McLeavy (Peter Pinfield, reclining) relates his misadventures going to the cemetery with his wife's coffin to nurse Fay (Lyndsy Kail) and Detective Truscott (Jim Fye, right) while his son Hal (Aaron Martinsen, left rear) listens to see if there has been any discovery of the money he has stolen in a bank heist.
(Photo right)
Partners in crime Dennis (Drew Ledbetter, left) and Hal (Aaron Martinsen,right) - try to conceal the corpse of Hal's deceased mother while they use her coffin to hide the money they stole in a bank heist. Jessica Holt directs Joe Orton's "Loot,” a black comedy at Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond
LOOT by Joe Orton , directed by Jessica
Holt. Masquers Playhouse,
LOOT AT THE MASQUERS IS A LAUGH ALOUD RIOT
If you're seeking respite from the trials and tribulations of the economic downturn, a trip to Point Richmond to see the Masquers’ production of Loot is just the ticket. You will not get better value for the $18 admission to their refurbished 99 seat theatre. They do great justice to Joe Orton’s black/comedy farce despite the inconsistencies in their English accents. English humor in madcap farce relies not only on physical activity but also on intricate word play including the nuance of language. Orton displays his genius in this genre as he skewers, with tongue-in-cheek, social mores/ sexuality/cherished institutions/law enforcement/Catholic church and rewards greed /lust with double entendres laced with over-the-top non-stop action.
Farce requires an obligatory minimum of four doors. In this play, Steve M. Vickers’ attractive set settles for two standard doors, supplemented with a locked/unlocked closet and a multiunit hospital screen. It all begins with sexy, svelte Nurse Fay (Lyndsy Kail) consoling the simple minded, grieving and confirmed Catholic McLeavy (Peter Pinfield) whose embalmed body of his wife lies hidden in the coffin on center stage. Fay’s true intention is to wed McLeavy and inherit all the money and jewels.
Fay: You've been a widower for three days. Have you considered a second marriage yet? McLeavy: No.
Fay: Why not?
McLeavy: I've been so busy with the funeral.
Hal McLeavy’s errant son and his best friend/lover Dennis (Drew Ledbetter) have robbed the Bank of England. The authorities, represented by Inspector Truscott (Jim Fye) disguised, as an inspector from the water board, is hot on the heels of the miscreants and they must find a place to hide the money now locked in the closet. Where else but in the casket? As bad luck would have it, there is not enough room in the casket for the loot and the body. OK, no problem they put the body in the closet and the money in the casket. Inspector Truscott is also in search of Nurse Fay whose seven previous patients have mysteriously died while under her care and she inherited the money. The plot turns topsy-turvy as Hal and Dennis try to keep Truscott off their trail, and the body that was on her head in the closet ends up in many unexpected places. It is hilariously, unceremoniously moved from the closet ending up behind the screen, back to the closet and in and out of the two doors.
Leading the actors is the pitch perfect Jim Fye as the disguised corrupt, conniving water board/police inspector Truscott, projecting a Sherlock Holmes demeanor but with completely absurd deductions.
Truscott: Do you realize what I'm doing here?
McLeavy: No. Your every action has been a mystery to me.
Truscott: That is as it should be. The process by which the police arrive at the solution to a mystery is, in itself, a mystery.
Truscott prattles on and on, but his crisp delivery makes almost every line understandable even while sucking on his pipe. Talented newcomer Peter Pinfield, as the much abused widower displays a marvelous stage presence, an understanding of comic timing combined with a mobile face that adds humor/depth to his role that should keep him active in local theatre. You would never guess the Pinfield was a rugby player in his native
Jessica Holt’s rapid-fire direction (the play runs under 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission) is suitable for the farce but occasionally she allows the action to detract from the cutting humor of the dialog that will have you rolling in the aisle.
Kedar K. Adour, MD
Courtesy of http://www.theatreworldinternetmagazine.com/