How the Other Half Loves

This very British play by Alan Ayckbourn is about as funny as you can get. Bordering on a farce, the play takes place simultaneously in the living rooms of the Foster and Phillips families somewhere in middle England.

The main protagonist is Frank Foster, a pompous windbag, who is the manager of an unnamed company. His posh wife Fiona is so totally bored by know-all Frank that she embarks on an affair with one of Frank’s employees, the rough and ready Bob Phillips.

At the same time Bob’s house bound wife Theresa is going through domestic crises of her own with an unseen, unruly child and Bob’s unpredictable late night habits. To confuse matters further William and Mary Featherstone are invited to the Foster and Phillips homes on alternative nights. William is also an employ of Frank’s but way down the pecking order.

The dinner table scene, which takes place in both houses simultaneously, supposedly over two nights, is about as funny and as clever as you can get in theatre. It’s a classic scene bordering on lunacy, but so well acted by the entire cast. From that high point the play takes on an anti-climax as most of the confusion is resolved in the last act.

Howard Smith plays the bumbling, upper-class Frank to perfection, blundering on in a stuffy accent worthy of Boris Johnson as he confuses who is having an affair with whom while displaying non-existent handyman skills.   

Deb Bass does a fine job as his wife Fiona, calmly bluffing Frank as to her late-night whereabouts, while at the same time trying to contact Bob for another liaison. This is all done without Fiona raising a sweat, let alone an eyebrow.

Kaitlen Adams as Theresa brilliantly portrays the ever frazzled, manic housewife attempting to run a household that is forever disrupted by the evasive Bob and unseen child Benjamin.

As Bob, Tim Wright gives a cracking performance as an unpredictable, untidy and dodgy husband eager to avoid home duties and ever on the lookout for an extra-marital fling.

Jake Skukan as William Featherstone embellishes the role with a classic comedy touch combining body language with exasperated facial expressions, especially in the dinner party scene, his confrontation with Bob and his subservient behaviour to boss Frank.  

Finally, Jocelyn Goodwin portrays the timid, nervous and ultra shy Mary Featherstone brilliantly.  This is not an easy role to play, but is done seemingly effortlessly by Jocelyn.

Directors Graham Harrington and Penny Scott have done a first-rate job in directing this play. Comedies are never easy to produce, but in this case the direction accompanied by a strong cast working with a good script has made this an extremely enjoyable production.

Ken Cotterill  

Image: L to R Howard Smith (Frank), Deb Bass (Fiona), Jake Skukan (William), Jocelyn Goodwin (Mary), Tim Wright (Bob) and Kaitlen Adams (Theresa). Photographer: Marg Proctor.