As a genre, farce is simply something that you either like or don’t. It’s even pointed out in the show that the plot of a farce is basically a lot of door slamming, misunderstandings and compromising positions that play for laughs. For some people there is no such thing as a necessary farce, the genre just doesn’t appeal to them. Others thoroughly enjoy it, and for those people Unnecessary Farce playing until April 13th at Stage West will be an enjoyable evening of dinner theatre fare.
The key to farce working is the delivery. If done poorly it is awful. But Stage West has stacked this production with a cast that tackles the material with gusto. The Valentines Day production featured Eric Craig as Eric Sheridan, but for the rest of the run the role will be played by Scott McAdam. Sheridan is teamed with Billie Dwyer (Natascha Girgis), two small town police officers trying to uncover corruption in the government with the help of Karen Brown (Emily Bartlett). Clueless Mayor Meekley (Glenn Nelson) is under investigation. The show takes place in two hotels rooms with a door attaching them, which of course is slammed repeatedly.
It is a hard show to review without revealing too much of the plot. Tory Doctor shows up in full on Scottish brogue which provides some of the shows best scenes. The cast is rounded out by Daniel Roberts as Agent Frank and Valerie Boyle as Mary, the mayor’s wife. Each actor knows how to milk the innuendo, physical comedy and quirky characters for maximum effect.
As usual, Stage West has a delicious spread to warm up with prior to the action on stage. Standouts this round included peach Melba chicken, Braised Beef Short Ribs Bourguignon and Mexican Spice Rubbed Mahi-Mahi Fillet. The Valentine’s Day crowd certainly seemed to enjoy their romantic meals – though it doesn’t need to be Valentine’s Day to enjoy a date at Stage West.
To sum it up: if you enjoy farce, absolutely check out this one, despite its claim to be unnecessary. It is one of the better shows in the style I have seen, and starts to ramp up early instead of making the audience wait for things to start to pay off in the second act.
