Charley's Aunt

Reporter: Colin Meredith
Date online: 12/06/2008

The story line of Thomas’s enduring farce, like most farces, is easy to follow. Two Oxford student friends Jack Chesney (Bernie Culshaw) and Charles Wykeham (Geoff Williams) are smitten by two young ladies, Kitty Verdun (Marie Hynes) and Amy Spettigue (Ellie Reader) but can’t spend time alone with the girls unless there is a female chaperone present (this is 1905!).

The imminent arrival of Jack’s mysterious but very wealthy aunt, Donna Lucia D’Alvadorez from Brazil, provides the boys with the perfect excuse for a lunch invitation, but when she delays her trip, Jack and Charles find themselves without a chaperone.

Jack comes up with a cunning ruse and persuades fellow student and aspiring thespian Lord Fancourt Babberley (Jon Comyn-Platt) to impersonate Charley’s Aunt. Babberley reluctantly agrees to ‘be’ Charley’s Aunt, with the imaginable consequences, especially when the real aunt arrives. Jon Comyn-Platt is excellent as the ‘aunt’ and has sublime energy and timing.

Ian Mansfield as Colonel Chesney (father of Jack) and Andy McKay as Stephen Spettigue (father of Amy) add strong support; and Margaret Hopkinson, as the real aunt, has all the necessary style, poise and charm to make us believe that she is very rich and from Brazil (‘where the nuts come from!’). Deserving of a special mention is Samantha Moore as Ela Delahay who has delightful stage presence in what is her first senior role. There is also a pivotal performance from Peter Dignan as Brassett who is continually manipulated by Jack and Charles.

Jane Jeffery’s slick production has terrific atmosphere, from private jokes to the audience, to an old-fashioned set design which complements the style perfectly.

Charley's Aunt
St Ann's Players
Milnrow Parish Primary School
Thursday 13 September 2007