REVIEW: Dewsbury Arts Group delights audience

It wouldn’t be a British comedy without a parson... and See How They Run has five of them – plus a bishop!
COMIC CAPER The cast of See How They run.COMIC CAPER The cast of See How They run.
COMIC CAPER The cast of See How They run.

Farces are always ridiculous, difficult to keep up with, extravagant and full of twists and turns, and See How They Run, by Philip King, was no exception.

Vicar’s wife Penelope sneaks out with her dashing soldier pal Lance Corporal Clive Winton while her husband, the Rev Lionel Toop, is standing in at the piano for the village glee singers.

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Clive, disguised as a vicar so he doesn’t get in trouble, and Penelope, come back to discover her uncle, the Bishop of Lax, has come to stay, along with the Rev Arthur Humphrey who’s taking the service, and for some reason prim village busybody Miss Skillon is there and a man Penelope can’t place.

The fast-paced show had the audience in stitches and the comedy was perfectly timed.

My favourite performances came from Chris Ward as the Bishop, Susan Saville whose inebriated Miss Skillon was a treat, and Rachel Wood as maid Ida.

Philip Rushworth as Winton and Gary Clayton as the intruder got plenty of laughs, as did Stuart Marshall, Peter Wrigley and Alison Hartley as Rev Toop, Rev Humphrey and Penelope. And is Tony Fox as Sgt Towers an actual cockney?

Dewsbury Arts Group’s productions are consistently top quality.

Their next show is City of Angels, June 26-July 5 – don’t miss it!

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