Don’t Dress For Dinner

Sale & Altrincham Messenger's Review

'A feast of a comedy at the Garrick'

By Rick Bowen

****

STYLISH, sophisticated and sexy, Don’t Dress For Dinner will come as something of a revelation to those who think they know all there is to know about farces.

All the familiar devices are in place, but it’s the sheer quality of the writing, rather than the sight of grown ups being caught in a state of undress that gets the laughs.

Performing a piece like this would stretch a professional theatre company because the dialogue is mercilessly complicated at times, with more twists and turns than Spaghetti Junction. Yet under the astute direction of Barry Purves the actors of Altrincham Garrick skip through this linguistic minefield with consumate ease. While the dialogue may be a feast for the ears, Purves’s set is a feast for the eyes and earned a richly deserved round of applause on Monday night.

Pieces as involved as this demand a strong and confident cast and the director has both. Janet Slade is really good value as the mercenary cook Suzette, a character who makes the most of the tangled web of deceit that traps those on stage. David Beddy (Bernard) and Mike Shaw (Robert) are both naturally funny men and have so much fun with their roles it’s an absolute pleasure watching them.

You do have to concentrate to keep up with what’s going on but this theatrical experience, which the audience undertakes at breakneck speed, is a truly exhilarating one. Do not miss.