The waters were out to be sure in the Thames Valley this weekend, but the bonhomie and fine cuisine for which the Mill at Sonning is well known were unchanged, assisted by a little weak sunshine too as the ubiquitous winter rains briefly abated. But ultimately ‘the play’s the thing’, and in this case, not quite up to the usual high standard set by this house when it comes to farce.
It is the work of Michael Cooney, son of Ray, and dates from the 1990s where it is set. That is not the problem, clunky old phones notwithstanding, as the domestic interior with multiple exits and entrances is standard fare for farce the world over. Rather there is too much exposition, too few running gags, and loose direction, whether in implausible details or in pacing, here often too slow, especially in the first half. Many of the cast also appeared in the excellent It Runs in the Family last year; but their skill and track record only lift the evening at intervals.
The plot is certainly still topical, revolving around benefit fraud and its concealment. Eric Swan has perpetrated numerous scams, unknown to his wife Linda, but desperately tries to backtrack when a DSS inspector comes to call. He devises an elaborate set of overlapping ruses to conceal the truth which involve ever more complex acts of disguise by his lodger, Norman Bassett, and elderly Uncle George. Gradually a whole posse of well-meaning professionals are gradually drawn into the mix. Cross-dressing, a malfunctioning washing machine and the disposal of an apparent corpse are some of the staple features.
With a few exceptions the acting is excellent – you can see how hard the cast are working to lift the material. Steven Pinder (Swan) is a veteran spinner of tall tales and simultaneous plot lines, and his double act with James Bradshaw (Bassett) is the highlight of the evening – their timing of punch lines is an object lesson in how to deliver jokes to maximum effect. Other notable moments are contributed by Oscar Cleaver’s put-upon Dr Chapman, Felicity Duncan’s battleaxe of a benefits supervisor, and Michael Shaw, as goofy Uncle George.
The writing lacks the vertiginous playfulness and tight construction of Cooney senior, but the audience mostly liked what they heard and saw, and no doubt for many it will offer a genial escape from this unusually punishing winter. But I wonder whether we the audience are losing our familiarity with farce and its conventions. For these shows to work their best the audience, as much as the players, needs to be ready to get with the pace; and lack of exposure to many classic farces (other than Noises Off, which as as satire of farce is the exception to prove the rule) reduces the incidence of and readiness for those laughing-gas moments of mounting bravura invention which provide the highest dramatic rewards.
Writer: Michael Cooney
Director: Ron Aldridge
Cast: James Bradshaw, Oscar Cleaver, Felicity Duncan, Rachel Fielding, Harry Gostelow, Melanie Gutteridge, Natasha Gray, Steven Pinder, Titus Rowe, Michael Shaw
Until April 4 2026
2 hrs 30 mins with interval
Photo Credit: Carla Joy Evans