If asked if this was a good play you would say “that’s an understatement” for this is Ayckbourn at his unsurpassed best. When this playwright is on this sort of form there is no one who can touch him for perfection and the direction was first rate. This play is a delight to watch.

The play takes place in a present day London Docklands apartment where Lynette Saxon (Jacqueline King) tries hard to make ends meet doing odd jobs whilst waiting for that wanted job to come along. She has a teenage daughter Sorrel (Saskia Butler) who decides she is old enough to know what she is doing whilst she clearly is not. This is the apex of the play, for Sorrel decides that she should set up as a call girl in the family apartment when her mother is at work and advertise on the internet. She enlisted her immature school friend Kelly Butcher (Alison Pargeter) to act as her maid and this leads to some of the most brilliant acting you will see anywhere. It’s a gem of a part which Alison Pargeter portrays to perfection. These parts occur so rarely that when they do it takes an actress with talent to make it into a part to die for. Without Saskia Butler it would not have worked and her performance is one of the best you will see. The situation that arises out of this is that a middle aged man Leo Tyler (Robert Austin), whose wife has recently died, arrives as the first client and is not what the girls expected. His going is probably predictable, but it turns the play from comedy to drama. The arrival of the police in the shape of a not too bright detective Dan Endicot (Tim Faraday) and a most peculiar masculine policewoman Grace Page (Beth Tuckey) with religious tendencies sees the plot focus on the mother who is obviously surprised. The climax is the arrival of a tabloid newspaper reporter Troy Stephens (Bill Chanpion) with an offer for the mother’s story. You can then guess the outcome, but you will have enjoyed a memorable night at the theatre.

The music by Keith Jarrett was subtle and fitted the mood of the play. Roger Glossop’s set was just right and worked well.

Do not miss this play when it comes your way. © BA

“GamePlan” is in repertory at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough until the 25th of August, 2001.