The Lyric Stage is blessed to have two master
comedians in their raucous production of Richard Bean’s ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS
(playing through Oct. 12th). The success of the spoof based on Goldoni’s
18th century THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS (now set, British music hall
style, in the 1960s) depends entirely on who’s taking the pratfalls.
In director Spiro Veloudos’ freewheeling
production, Neil A. Casey reigns supreme as an ambitious bloke who signs on to
work full time for two bosses, laboring feverishly to keep each one from
knowing about the other. Casey not only splits his time when the bosses aren’t
looking, he splits his personality—so that a conversation with himself (“I
shouldn’t do it. Yes, I should. No. Yes.”) quickly becomes a raging argument
which devolves into a knock down drag out affair, when his left hand lands an
uppercut which isn’t defended by his right because he wasn’t paying attention.
More comic bliss is supplied in abundance by
John Davin, in the role of an ancient waiter who has seen better days and
evidently never thought of getting his eyes checked. He keeps running into
doors, walls, furniture, anything that can send him reeling across the stage. We
clearly see the obstacles heading in his direction where he does not, which is
the sure fire, banana peel formula for sensational slapstick.
The cast juggles Bean’s godawful puns,
carrying on bravely in the face of a convoluted plot about gangsters and murder
victims and true love. The set-up in Act I is molasses paced but once the
audience gets all the characters straight, and the exposition is in place, the
train (or should I say ‘bus’) starts to roll. This is one of those times you
have to sit back, forget about the lame-as-they-come jokes and let the physical
comedy pull you along.
You can even join in. There’s plenty of room
for audience participation. You’re encouraged to sing along with the corny songs
proffered by Catherine Stornetta’s jaunty skiffle band. One enthusiastic
audience member at my performance was inspired to take the stage and dance! No one
seemed to mind.
My audience was so delighted by the give and
take that at one point during the show, we assumed a rather trepidacious fellow
making his way down the side stairs, was part of the play. All eyes were on him
as he tried to exit the ramp but seeing actors headed his way, turned and instead,
ascended the steep central stairs to the upper level. I thought this was a
brilliant bit until I saw an usher grab him at the top of the stairs. I assume
she guided the poor man safely to the men’s room. (The point being once you’ve
given yourself over to the spirit of the silliness, you’re ready and willing to
laugh at anything and who doesn’t need laughter desperately these days?)
The Lyric has a passel of actors who know how
to milk a laugh: Larry Coen slings Latin phrases like cream pies. Tiffany Chen
stares in magnificent blank bewilderment. McCaela Donovan hilariously loses her
patience with biology. Even Alejandro Simoes’ exits are funny.
Dale
Place’s
yellow shoes set me off. Likewise Aimee Doherty’s pseudo-feminist flounce and
Davron S. Monroe’s wonderful wig and even more wonderful head wag. Then there’s
Harry McEnerny’s so somber headwaiter and Dan Whelton’s deadly charmer…I could
go on and on.
ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS is no NOISES OFF but the
production is. And if you’re a fan of Benny Hill humor, you’ll be in clover
‘til the cows come home. (I’m not a Hill fan and I was won over in spite of
myself: “No. Yes!”)
