Party political goings-on of a strictly off-the-record kind provide hilarious fare in Wick Theatre Company’s latest offering. Government Minister Richard Willey plans to spend the night with Jane, a fast-working secretary with the Opposition. But no sooner do they settle into their hotel suite than things start to go horribly wrong – with the discovery of a body trapped under the sash window!
Richard sends for his faithful assistant George Pidgen to help him out of this sticky situation. But Richard’s lies soon land George in trouble with everyone, and they both end up with a serious identity crisis. Things go from bad to worse with the arrival of Richard’s wife and Jane’s mad husband. throw in a disapproving hotel manager and an unscrupulous waiter, to say nothing of an amorous nurse and you have an evening of rib-tickling entertainment.
Publicity #1: Out of Order
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: June 12 2003 issue – Leisure Scene section – page 2
Text Header: I’m an MP, get me out of here!
Sub Header: Cooney farce will be a sure-fire vote winner for the Wick Theatre Company
Text: Content
DODGY goings-on at Westminster? Surely not!
It can only be the latest production from the Wick Theatre Company, Ray Cooney’s Out of Order.
Government minister Richard Willey wants to spend the night with pretty secretary, Jane Worthington. But as soon as they settle in to a swish Westminster hotel, they discover a body stuck in the sash window. Richard sends for his assistant, George Pigden, but the poor lad is completely out of his depth.
With the arrival of Richard’s worldly wife, Pamela, and Ronnie, Jane’s suspicious husband, George suffers something of an identity crisis. Add in an Italian maid and a bossy nurse, and you have the recipe for mirth and mayhem.
Directed by Betty Dawes, the cast includes John Robinson [as Richard Willey MP], Kati Szeless [Jane], Peter Thompson [as George], Rosemary Mose [Pamela Willey], David Goodger [waiter], Ralph Dawes [hotel manager], Adrian Kenward [the body], Jenny Burtenshaw [Gladys Foster], Joan Bearman [the Italian maid] and Jason Tubbs as Ronnie Worthington.
Performances are from Wednesday, June 18, to Saturday, June 21, at the Barn Theatre, Southwick Community Centre, starting at 7.45pm. Tickets are £6. Box office: 01273 597094.
Publicity #2: Out of Order
Publication: West Sussex County Times
Publication Data: June 13 2003 issue – page 24
Text Header: Minister’s affairs get out of control
Text: Content
PARTY political goings-on of a strictly off-the-record kind provide hilarious fare in Wick Theatre Company’s latest offering at the Barn Theatre in Southwick Community Centre.
‘Out of Order’, a hugely successful farce by Ray Cooney, was the winner of the 1991 Olivier Award for Comedy of the Year. Government Minister Richard Willey plan to spend the night with Jane Worthington, a pretty and rather dizzy secretary with the opposition. But no sooner do Richard and Jane settle into their suite at the Westminster Hotel than things go horribly wrong, with the discovery of a ‘body’ stuck in one of the sash windows!
Richard sends for his faithful assistant George Pigden to helm hi out of this extremely sticky situation. The rather nervous George is completely out of his depth, trying to deal with the disapproving hotel manager and an unscrupulous waiter. With the arrival of Richard’s worldly wife Pamela, and Ronnie, Jane’s distraught and suspicious husband, poor George suffers an identity crisis. Throw in this heady mix an Italian maid and last but not least, Gladys Foster, a bossy bit good-looking nurse, and you have a rib-ticking entertainment in Wick’s award winning style.
The cast chosen by director Betty Dawes includes both new and familiar faces at the Barn. John Robinson plays the suave Richard Willey, with Kati Szeless as Jane. The faithful George will be played by Peter Thompson, with Rosemary Mose playing Pamela Willey, and Jason Tubbs as Ronnie Worthington. David Goodger appears as the waiter, and Ralph Dawes is the hotel manager. Then there’s a body in the person of Adrian Kenward, with Jenny Burtenshaw as Gladys Foster and Joan Bearman, the Italian maid.
Performances are at 7.45pm from Wednesday to Saturday, June 21, at the Barn Theatre, Southwick Community Centre, Southwick Street, Southwick. Tickets at £6 are available from the box office on 01273 597094.
Review #1: Out of Order
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: June 26 2003 issue – Leisure Scene Section – page 12
Reviewer: Jaime Hailstone
Text Header: Welcome to the house of fun
Text: Content
Clandestine affairs, mistaken identity and the odd body – the dark and murky world of Westminster and its corridors of power are no place for the faint hearted. The Wick Theatre Company took to the stage at the Barn Theatre for Ray Cooney’s Out of Order, a tricky tale of woe involving an MP, a parliamentary private secretary, the Opposition leader’s secretary and a Westminster hotel room.
I have to admit that the world of Ray Cooney, which seems to be full of vicars dropping their trousers and hilarious consequences, does leave me a little cold. However there are many [people who love this sort of thing and this is a perfectly executed example of a genre that is not as easy as it looks. The problems start when government minister Richard Willey [John Robinson] checks into the hotel for a night of illicit passion with secretary Jane Worthington [Kati Szeless] and discovers a body [Adrian Kenward] stuck in the sash window. Richard’s assistant George Pigden [Peter Thompson] is summoned, but they have to keep the body hidden from the hotel manager [Ralph Dawes] and the maid [Joan Bearman]. Fortunately they have a helpful waiter [David Goodger] on hand to provide wheel chairs, champagne and oysters.
Things start to get really complicated with the arrival of Jane’s jealous husband [Jason Tubbs], Richard’s wife [Rosemary Mose] and Nurse Foster [Jenny Burtenshaw]. Directed by Betty Dawes, it had the audience howling with laughter as things progressively went from bad to worse for the beleaguered politician, particularly when the body turned out to be very much alive.
All in all, it was another sure- fire winner for the prolific Wick Theatre Company.
Review #2: Out of Order
Publication: Brighton Argus
Publication Data: June 23 2003
Reviewer: Barrie Jerram
Text Header: Adultery leads to farcical hilarity
Text: Content
IN accordance with all good farces, Out of Order featured plenty of non-stop opening and closing of doors, wrong identities galore and even the dropping of a pair of trousers.
A Government Minister’s attempt to indulge in a spot of adultery did not stand a chance once a dead body was found in his hotel room. His hapless private secretary was called to dispose of the body to avoid scandal and, from then on, mayhem broke out.
Hilarious high spots of the evening included the body being used as a ventriloquist’s dummy and also as a dancing partner.
A hard working cast extracted maximum humour from each twist and turn of the convoluted plot. David Goodger as the wily waiter, always with his hand out for payment, stole virtually every scene he appeared in. Equally impressive was Peter Thompson as the put-upon dogsbody trying to keep his minister out of trouble.
Review #3: Out of Order
Publication: Words & Music
Publication Data: June 26 2003
Reviewer: Gordon Bull
Text: Content
It must be almost impossible to create a farce with more characters coming and goings-on than this one. Out of Order pokes fun at Westminster with indiscretions in high paces! With a cast of ten including the body [what, another body play?] the humour scintillates with clever double-entendre and misinterpreted compromising situations both homo and hetro.
A couple of disappearing bare bottoms, serially one of each, spice up the fun before the towel is thrown in for the denouement. The complicated plot, with more trouser drops and negligees, is so fast that the head whirls as one tries to recollect who is where.
Adrian Kenward as the body is absolutely superb. Is he real? You must be a detective to find out!
The window-dropping guillotine accounts for further demise and the effect is difficult to bring off without further loss of cast.
The St. John’s Ambulance Brigade standing by was more than fortuitous! Betty Dawes’ latest production is another triumph. this first night was tremendous.
John Robinson [a la John Cleese] was excellent as the naughty MP Richard, almost caught with his pants down.
Ralph Dawes as the hotel manager put on his usual fine performance but along with other occupants was unable to discipline his greedy waiter [David Goodger] who never lost a keyhole opportunity to find a quick buck.
Peter Thompson as Pigden the PPS sidekick and Kati Szeless as the complicit Jane were equally superb, her betrayed husband Ronnie [Jason Tubbs] was always realistically ready to clobber the evasive seducer whose wife [Rosemary Mose] proved effectively feckless.
Jenny Burtenshaw as Nurse Fraser was quite able to deal with Pigden in the cupboard when, rising to the occasion, he discovered abilities he didn’t know he was capable. He never looked back.
Joan Bearman was absolutely accomplished as the innocent one-line maid [‘non capisco’].
What larks Pip, what larks!
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