Is anything more seductive than a sublimely silly, door-slamming, face-planting, pratfalling, preposterous British farce?
Not if you need a good laugh, and who doesn’t, these days?
British farce is an intensely physical and precise art form, aimed straight for the funny bone, that might have well reached its peak with the 1945 play, “See How They Run,” now being revived in a stellar production of Drama Dock, Vashon’s venerable theater company that is now, incredibly, celebrating its 47th year of entertaining islanders.
And just like Drama Dock, “See How They Run” seems to have just gotten better and better with age.
The plot of the play is too ridiculous to explain, and farce isn’t about anything making sense, in any case. It’s all about people being locked in closets together, or chasing each other up and down stairs or in and out of doorways, and occasionally having some of their clothes fall off.
It’s all about timing and delivery of slapstick fun, and “See How They Run” has all of that, and more.
So let’s just talk about the characters: a wise-cracking Cockney housemaid, an escaped Russian spy, four identical vicars (some of whom are imposters, naturally), a high-strung American actress, a tipsy town gossip, a pompous police sergeant and a baffled bishop. All of them come together in a backwater vicarage in the middle of the night for a madcap melange of mistaken identity and hilarious hijinks.
Drama Dock’s sublime cast for the show is a who’s who of local favorites, deeply impressive newcomers, Drama Dock veterans and performers who have appeared in other shows in Drama Dock’s all-British season, all under the masterful direction of physical comedy maestro Christopher Kehoe.
Alyssa Norling and David Breyman, as the loose-limbed leads of the show, are both delightfully comic in their roles, and each time Cate O’Kane enters a scene, variously skittering, shimmying and simpering her way through her role as the housekeeper, you can be sure that you’ll soon wind up in stitches.
Theater and film pros Catherine MacNeal, Bill Epstein, Chris Clark, Reed Harvey, Chris Boscia and Brian Palermo also bring serious comedy chops and decades of professional experience to their roles. What a pleasure it is to see these accomplished actors all together on a Vashon stage, cutting it up in such high style.
Kudos also go to producer/scenic director Lisa Peretti, costume designer Erika Strandberg, and David Breyman’s double-duty work as the show’s fight choreographer.
Don’t miss the local company’s last three performances of the play, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Aug. 30, 31 and Sept. 1, at Vashon High School Theatre, at 9600 SW 204th St.
Find out more and get tickets at dramadock.org.
