Written by Brandon
Thomas
Directed by Michael
Weston
Tempo Theatre
Belconnen Theatre to
2 November
Reviewed by Len Power
26 October 2019
‘Charley’s Aunt’ is a delightful farce that was first
performed in London in 1892. It was so
successful that it broke the box office record at the time for the
longest-running play in the world at nearly 1500 performances. It has been a popular favourite ever since
and, more than a hundred years later, still comes up as fresh as a daisy.
In 1892, in an Oxford college in England, undergraduate
student Lord Fancourt Babberley is persuaded by two other students to
impersonate an old aunt of one of them so that two girls they are keen on will
quite properly have a chaperone when they visit. Of course, unexpected complications pile up
immediately, leading to chaos but, ultimately, a happy ending.
Director, Michael Weston, has staged the show well. He ensures that it runs at a swift pace with
lots of energy from his actors.
The large cast of ten do well with their colourful
roles. Bertram O’Brien as the undergraduate,
Lord Fancourt Babberley, is particularly convincing in his character of a young
aristocrat and is very amusing in his impersonation of the aunt. Ash Hamilton and Patrick Hayes do well as the
silly ass students, Jack and Charley.
 |
| From left: Ash Hamilton (Jack Chesney) Lard Fancourt (Bertram O’Brien) and Charley Wykeham (Patrick Hayes) |
Paul Ballenger displays fine comic timing in his role of
Jack’s long-suffering and cynical valet, Brasset. Andrea Charlton is commanding as the down to
earth real aunt, Donna Lucia, and the rest of the large cast get their moments
to shine.
Performed in three acts, the play’s settings are a challenge
for a small company with three distinct sets required – a college room, a
garden and a stately home drawing room.
The substantial and attractive settings designed by Jon Elphick and,
director, Michael Weston, work very well.
Costumes coordinator, Anne-Maree Hatch and her assistants have come up
with striking and colourful period costumes.
Tempo has given some less inexperienced actors an
opportunity to perform in this production and they all do very well. Michael Weston has produced a very
entertaining show. The audience at the
Saturday matinee I attended clearly enjoyed it and so did I. It’s a great opportunity to see this much-loved
classic play.
Photos supplied by the company
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on the Artsound FM 92.7 ‘In the Foyer’ program on Mondays
and Wednesdays at 3.30pm.
