Excellent performances ensure first rate entertainment in village play

Simon Maris, Bryn Koenig, Kyle Lawrie, Jill Price. Photo by Simon Eley.

Runs in the Family written by Ray Cooney presented by Kineton Amateur Dramatic Society (KADS) from 20 – 23 November 2024 at Kineton Village Hall, Warwickshire. Directed by Deborah Deeley.

Review by Charles Essex.

Dr Mortimore (Dave Candy), the senior neurologist at St Andrew’s Hospital, has been chosen to give the closing speech to an international conference being held at the hospital.  If this goes well he would become head of department with a knighthood to boot.  Unfortunately, an hour before he is due to speak, an old flame of his Jane Tate (Catherine Jones), turns up…with their love child Leslie (Bryn Koenig), who is now a teenager looking for his dad. The hospital staff are preparing for the staff pantomime, which gave writer Ray Cooney plenty of scope for mischief in this hilarious farce.

To stop Mrs Mortimore (Jill Price) discovering the truth, Mortimore and Jane weave a web of increasingly outrageous explanations for Leslie’s presence.  Dave has an extensive script and wonderfully portrays Mortimore’s increasing despair as the clock ticks down to his moment of glory. Simon Maris delivers a great performance as Mortimore’s friend Dr Bonney, naively unaware of the deception and increasingly perplexed by Mortimore’s behaviour. Bryn conveys Leslie’s growing distress and agitation at not knowing who his father is.

Simon Maris, Dave Candy, Jill Price. Photo by Simon Eley.

The impending pantomime comes into its own with wigs, costumes and false breasts as Dave and Simon take turns to dress as matron in a comical scene as they answer questions from the police sergeant (Tom Bruggenwirth). 

After an excellent first act, Ray Cooney’s script veers towards Carry On, with KADS stalwart Jeremy Rivers-Fletcher giving repeated comic turns as a confused elderly interloper, whilst newcomer Huntley Thawe is in full James Robertson Justice mode as senior surgeon Sir Willoughby Drake.   

This was potentially a difficult play to do well but director Deborah Deeley did an excellent job with this production, ensuring that the large cast was well rehearsed and the timing, essential for farce to be successful, was spot on.  All the audiences in this almost sell-out run will have had a thoroughly enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

For tickets please call: 01295 680487 or visit https://kads.org.uk/