Table Manners

Table Manners by Alan Ayckbourn is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year.  What better time then for Pymble Players to bring this play to the stage.  One of a trilogy of plays called The Norman Conquests, Table Manners follows the drama of a dysfunctional family over the course of a weekend.  Thrown together unexpectedly on this occasion, the relatives simultaneously loathe yet love each other, creating a familiar mix of comedy and drama that so often accompanies forced family gatherings.

Annie (Samantha Lemon) still lives in the family home and is the full-time carer of the family matriarch.  Desperate for a break, she has agreed to spend an illicit weekend away with an initially unknown companion.  Her older brother Reg (Baz Evans) and his wife Sarah (Heather Pitt) have somewhat begrudgingly agreed to take care of both the mother and the house while Annie is away.  Lemon is believable and highly likeable as Annie, her unfortunate choice for a lover almost completely justified by her lonely lifestyle.  Evans is entertaining as the largely downtrodden Reg, but Pitt owns the stage every time she enters. She is perfect as the anally retentive, highly strung, control freak Sarah and animates this play like a master.

A regular visitor to the house is Tom (Greg Thornton), a neighbour and vet, and the last two guests to arrive are Norman (Justin Corcoran) and eventually his wife, the third sibling Ruth (Diane Howden). Thornton is highly amusing as the dim-witted vet who doesn’t have the relationship skills or nous to do anything about his affection for Annie.  She drops hints that aren’t remotely subtle and his complete naivety and general bewilderment serve as much needed relief as the tone of the play gets more serious.  Corcoran is wonderfully charismatic as the flirtatious and seemingly empathic Norman, who can apparently take advantage of any vulnerable female that he comes across.  He is an equally sleazy and likeable lothario, quite a delicate balance to strike. Howden doesn’t get a lot of stage time but adds an unexpected and firey dynamic when she finally arrives. The audience is warmly sympathetic when she muses about never really owning her husband, likening him to an overdue library book.

Directed by Gavin Critchley, this play has been well cast and moves along at a reasonable pace.  It seems to take a little while to gain momentum but this is more to do with Ayckbourn’s writing and not a reflection of the energy levels of the cast.  The scenery is highly detailed and historically accurate, complete with three flying ducks on the wall. The use of the lamps and background music were another nice touch but also not a surprise because the production values at Pymble Players are always extremely high.

Table Manners will play until the 3^rd of September.  There are not a lot of tickets left so book now if you would like a seat at the table.

Fiona Kelly.

Photos by Daniel Ferris.