THEATRE REVIEWS

We were treated to an evening of laughter and fun that kept us gripped to hear the words of each performer as they delivered Peter Hall's adaptation of Bernard Shaw's play. Clues were so obviously given that you could guess what was going to happen, but this added to the anticipation and subsequent laughter. The casting was excellent, matching actor to character so that they all delivered superb performances, but special acclaim should be given to Edward Fox in the role as a subservient, 'top class' waiter.

The play, performed against stunningly simple sets, started in a dentist's operating room where the unconventional Dolly (Sinead Matthews) extracts the life of the dentist, Valentine, (Ryan Kiggell) in her natural exuberant way. Gradually, Valentine is introduced to the emancipated Clandon family and immediately falls in love with Gloria (Nancy Carroll), who has never been taught that women should love. As they depart from the room, having invited the poverty-striken Valentine to lunch, Dolly meets the landlord of the dentist, Mr Crampton (Ken Bones), and also invites him to lunch, not knowing that she was inviting her long dreamed of father. So starts a series of social occasions where, through the tactful and informative waiter (Edward Fox), they discover their family connections and disclose their independent thinking and exuberant natures. Noteworthy exchanges between Dolly and Bohun (Michael Mears), Valentine and Gloria and the Waiter and Finch (William Chubb) drew to life the dialogues that Bernard Shaw had so carefully crafted. © JG

“You Never Can Tell” is in repertory in Bath on the 22nd June until the 3rd September, 2005.